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FOR  YOUl^GUAMERICANS 

„,_,__  ,.|_|  •••••r^*~~-T|-^ri*  V_,.^^H^^,^iBB^^^^M"M^I^»^"»"^^B««»^™M«W««««M«"«i^«*'**!*-^ 


THE  BLAZE   REVEALED  A  LARGE  MASS   OF   LUMBER   RISING  AND  FALLIN< 

ON   THE   TURBULENT    WATERS. — Frontispiece. 
Ttu  R»v«r  Boys  on  the  Great  Lakfs- 


THE   ROVER   BOYS 
ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES 

OR 
THE  SECRET  OF  THE  ISLAND  CAVE 

BY 

ARTHUR  M.  WINFIELD 

(Edward  Stratemeyer) 

AUTHOR  OF  THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  SCHOOL,  THE 

ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  OCEAN,  THE  PUTNAM 

HALL  SERIES,  ETC. 


ILLUSTRATED 


BOOKS  BY  ARTHUR  M.  WINFIELD 

(Edward  Stratemeyer) 


THE  FIRST  ROVER  BOYS  SERIES 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  SCHOOL 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  OCEAN 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  JUNGLE 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  OUT  WEST 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  CAMP 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  LAND  AND  SEA 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  RIVER 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  SOUTHERN  WATERS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  FARM 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLLEGE 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  DOWN  EAST 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  AIR 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  NEW  YORK 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  ALASKA 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  BUSINESS 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  A  TOUR 


THE  SECOND  ROVER  BOYS  SERIES 
THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLBY  HALL 


THE  PUTNAM  HALL  SERIES 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  CADETS 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  RIVALS 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  CHAMPIONS 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  REBELLION 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  ENCAMPMENT 
THE  PUTNAM  HALL  MYSTERY 


I2mo.    Cloth.    Illustrated. 


GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  Publishers,  New  York 


COPYRIGHT,  1901,  BY 

THE  MERSHON  COMPANY 


The  Rover  Boys  on  the  Great  Lakes 


Stack 


P 


CONTENTS.- 


JHATTHR 

INTRODUCTION,  .......  T 

I.  A  STORM  ON  LAKE  ERIE,         .       .       •       .  i 

II.  THE  DISAPPEARANCE  OF  DICK,         •       •       .  9 

III.  ON  A  LUMBER  RAFT,         .        .        .        ,        .  19 

IV.  IN  THE  HANDS  OF  THE  ENEMY,       ...  27 
V.  THE  SAILING  OF  THE  "  PEACOCK,  *  ...  39 

VI.  HUNTING  FOR  DICK, 48 

VII.  THE  ESCAPE  OF  ARNOLD  BAXTER,   ...  57 

VIII.  ON  THE  LAKE  AGAIN,       .....  66 

IX.  CAUGHT  IN  A  TRAP, 74 

X.  THE  ESCAPE  FROM  THE  HOLD,        ...  82 

XI.  GAINING  A  POINT,     .       .       .       .       .       .89 

XII.  A  DINNER  OF  IMPORTANCE,      ....  97 

XIII.  PRISONERS  THREE,    ......  105 

XIV.  DICK  MAKES  HIS  ESCAPE,         .       .       .       .112 
XV.  WHAT  THE  LAME  MAN  KNEW,        ...  120 

XVI.  OFF  FOR  NEEDLE  POINT  ISLAND,     .       .       .  129 

XVII.  A  CAVE  AND  A  SNAKE,     .....  137 

XVIII.  COFFEE  FOR  THREE,                  .        .        .  146 

XIX  AN  ASTONISHING  DISCOVERY,    .        .        .        .155 

XX.  JOSIAH  CRABTREE'S  GAME,        ....  163 

XXI.  TOM  BRINGS  ONE  ENEMY  TO  TERMS,      .        .  172 

XXII.  THE  SECRET  OF  THE  ISLAND  CAVE,         .        .  180 

ui 


2076528 


IV 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 

XXIII.  THE  BAXTERS  ARE  FOLLOWED, 

XXIV.  AN  ENCOUNTER  IN  THE  DARK, 
XXV.  BEACHING  THE  "  WELLINGTON," 

XXVI.  CRABTREE  JOINS  THE  BAXTERS, 

XXVII.  How  TOM  WAS  CAPTURED,    . 

XXVIII.  THE  BAXTERS  TALK  IT  OVER, 

XXIX.  DORA  STANHOPE  APPEARS, 

XXX.  HOME  AGAIN — CONCLUSION,  . 


PACK 

188 
197 
204 

212 
22O 
226 
233 
242 


INTRODUCTION. 

MY  DEAR  BOYS:  This  volume,  "The  Rover 
Boys  on  the  Great  Lakes,"  is  a  complete  story  in 
itself,  but  forms  the  fifth  volume  of  the  Rover 
Boys  Series  for  Young  Americans. 

When  first  I  started  this  series  with  "  The 
Rover  Boys  at  School,"  I  had  no  idea  of  extend- 
ii  >•  the  line  beyond  three  or  four  volumes.  But 
the  second  book,  "  The  Rover  Boys  on  the 
Ocean,"  immediately  called  for  a  third,  "  The 
Rover  Boys  in  the  Jungle,"  and  this  finished, 
many  boys  wanted  to  know  what  would  happen 
next,  and  so  I  must  needs  give  them  "  The  Rover 
Boys  Out  West."  Still  they  were  not  satisfied; 
hence  the  volume  now  in  your  hands. 

So  far  we  have  followed  the  doings  of  Dick, 
Tom,  and  Sam  at  dear  old  Putnam  Hall,  with 
many  larks  and  sports;  then  out  upon  the  broad 
Atlantic  in  a  daring  chase  which  came  pretty  close 
to  ending  in  sad  disaster;  next  into  the  interior  of ( 
Africa  on  a  quest  of  grave  importance;  and  lastly ' 
out  into  the  mountainous  regions  of  the  wild 
West,  to  locate  a  mining  claim  belonging  to  Mr- 
Anderson  Rover. 


Vi  INTRODUCTION. 

In  the  present  tale  the  scene  is  shifted  to  the 
Great  Lakes.  The  three  boys  go  on  a  pleasure 
tour  and,  while  on  Lake  Erie,  fall  in  with  an  old 
enemy,  who  concocts  a  scheme  for  kidnaping 
Dick,  who  had  fallen  overboard  from  his  yacht  in 
a  storm.  This  scheme  leads  to  many  adventures, 
the  outcome  of  which  will  be  found  in  the  pages 
that  follow. 

In  placing  this  volume  in  my  young  readers' 
hands  I  can  but  repeat  what  I  have  said  before: 
that  I  am  extremely  grateful  to  all  for  the  kind 
reception  given  the  other  Rover  Boys  stories.  I 
sincerely  trust  the  present  tale  meets  with  equal 
commendation. 

Affectionately  and  sincerely  yours, 

EDWARD  STRATEMEYER.: 

April  12,  IQ01 


THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE 
GREAT  LAKES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A    STORM    ON    LAKE    ERIE. 

"  DICK,  do  you  notice  how  the  wind  is  freshen* 
ing?" 

"  Yes,  Sam,  I've  been  watching  it  for  ten 
minutes.  I  think  we  are  in  for  a  storm." 

"  Exactly  my  idea,  and  I  shouldn't  be  surprised 
if  it  proved  a  heavy  one,  too.  How  far  are  we 
from  shore?  " 

"  Not  over  three  miles,  to  my  reckoning." 

"  Perhaps  we  had  better  turn  back,"  and  Sam 
Rover,  the  youngest  of  the  three  Rover  brothers, 
shook  his  head  doubtfully.  > 

"  Oh,  I  reckon  we'll  be  safe  enough,"  re 
sponded  Dick  Rover,  who  was  several  years  older. 
"  I  know  more  about  sailing  a  yacht  than  I  did 
when  we  followed  up  the  Baxters  on  the  Atlantic 
Ocean." 


a          ROVER  BOYS  ON    THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  The  poor  Baxters !  "  put  in  Tom  Rover,  who 
stood  close  by,  also  watching  the  wind,  and  the 
heavy  clouds  rolling  up  from  the  westward. 
"  Who  ever  supposed  that  they  would  be  buried 
alive  in  that  landslide  on  the  mountain  in  Colo- 
rado?" 

"  It  was  a  terrible  fate,"  came,  with  a  shudder, 
from  Dick  Rover.  "  But,  nevertheless,  I  am  glad 
we  are  rid  of  those  rascals.  They  caused  father 
and  us  trouble  enough,  goodness  knows." 

"  And  they  brought  trouble  enough  to  Dora 
Stanhope  and  her  mother,  too,"  observed  Sam. 
"  By  the  way,  Dick,  weren't  Dora  and  her  mother 
going  to  take  a  trip  on  these  lakes  this  summer?  " 

"  Of  course  Dora  was,"  put  in  Tom,  with  a  sly 
wink.  "  If  she  wasn't,  what  do  you  suppose 
would  bring  Dick  here  ?  He  got  a  letter  only  last 
week " 

"  Oh,  stow  it,  Tom !  "  cried  the  elder  Rover,  his 
face  growing  red.  "  You  wanted  to  take  a  trip 
on  the  Great  Lakes  as  much  as  anybody — said 
you  wouldn't  like  anything  better,  and  told  all  the 
fellows  at  Putnam  Hall  so,  too." 
*  "  Well,  I  don't  know  as  I  would  like  anything 
better,"  rattled  on  Tom.  "  The  Swallow  seems 
to  be  a  first-class  craft,  and  I've  no  doubt  but  what 
we'll  see  lots  to  interest  us  in  this  trip  from 
Buffalo  to  Lake  Superior." 


A    STORM  ON  LAKE  ERIE.  3 

"  When  are  the  Stanhopes  coming  out?  "  asked 
Sam. 

''  I  can't  say,  exactly,"  replied  Dick.  "  I  ex 
pect  another  letter  from  them  when  we  reach 
Cleveland.  In  the  last  letter  Dora  said  her 
mother  was  not  feeling  as  well  as  before." 

"  A  trip  on  the  lakes  ought  to  do  her  good." 

"  Wonder  if  old  Josiah  Crabtree  has  been 
bothering  her  with  his  attentions  ?  "  came  from 
Tom.  "  Gosh !  how  anxious  he  was  to  marry  her 
and  get  hold  of  the  money  she  is  holding  in  trust 
for  Dora." 

"  Crabtree's  term  of  imprisonment  ran  out  only 
last  week,  Tom.  He  couldn't  annoy  her  while  he 
was  in  jail." 

"  He  ought  to  have  been  given  five  years  for  the 
way  he  used  them,  and  us.  It's  strange  what  an 
influence  he  had  over  Mrs.  Stanhope." 

"  He's  something  of  a  hypnotist,  and  she  seems 
to  be  just  the  right  kind  of  a  subject  for  him. 
His  coming  from  prison  is  one  reason  why  Dora 
wanted  to  get  her  mother  away.  She  isn't  going 
to  let  outsiders  know  of  the  trip,  so  old  Crabtree 
won't  know  where  they  are." 

"  He'll  find  out,  if  he  can,"  remarked  Sam. 
"  He  always  was  a  nosy  old  chap." 

"  If  he  tries  any  game  on,  I'll  settle  him  in  short 
order,"  came  from  Dick,  with  determination. 


4          ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  We've  put  up  with  enough  from  him  in  the  past, 
and  I  don't  intend  to  give  him  any  leeway  in  the 
future." 

"Leeway?"  burst  out  Tom.  "Not  a  foot! 
Not  an  inch !  I  haven't  forgotten  how  he  treated 
me  when  he  was  a  teacher  at  Putnam  Hall.  I 
wonder  that  Captain  Pujnam  didn't  kick  him  out 
long  before  he  was  made  to  go." 

A  sudden  rush  of  wind  cut  the  conversation 
short  at  this  point,  sending  the  Swallow  bowling 
along  merrily.  The  clouds  were  increasing 
rapidly,  and  Dick  ordered  that  all  the  sails  be 
closely  reefed. 

"  We  don't  want  to  lose  our  mast,"  he  observed. 

"  We  don't  want  to  lose  anything,"  answered 
Sam.  "  For  my  part,  I  wish  we  were  back  in 
Buffalo  harbor." 

"  Oh !  we'll  run  along  all  right,"  came  from 
Tom.  "  Don't  get  scared  before  you  are  hurt." 
He  looked  at  his  watch.  "  Half-past  five !  I 
didn't  think  it  was  so  late," 

"  It  will  be  dark  before  long,"  said  Dick. 
"  Perhaps  the  blow  will  go  down  with  the  setting 
of  the  sun." 

"  We'll  never  know  when  the  sun  sets— except 
ing  by  the  almanac,"  murmured  Sam.  "  It's  as 
black  as  ink  already,  over  to  the  westward." 

To  keep  up  his  courage  Tom  Rover  began  to 


A    STORM  ON  LAKE  ERIE.  5 

whistle,  but  soon  the  sound  was  drowned  out  by 
the  high  piping  of  the  wind,  as  it  tore  over  the 
deck  and  through  the  rigging  of  the  Swallow. 
They  were  certainly  in  for  a  storm,  and  a  heavy 
one  at  that. 

It  was  the  middle  of  July,  and  the  Rover  boys 
had  journeyed  from  Valley  Brook,  their  country 
home,  to  Buffalo,  a  week  before,  for  a  six-weeks' 
outing  upon  the  Great  Lakes  previous  to  their 
returning  to  Putnam  Hall  for  the  fall  and  winter 
term.  Their  thrilling  adventures  in  Colorado,  as 
told  in  "  The  Rover  Boys  Out  West,"  had  taxed 
them  severely,  and  their  father,  Mr.  Anderson 
Rover,  felt  that  they  needed  the  recreation.  At 
first  he  had  wished  them  to  remain  at  the  farm, 
and  so  had  their  Uncle  Randolph  Rover  and  their 
motherly  Aunt  Martha,  but  this  had  been  voted 
"  too  slow  "  by  the  three  brothers,  and  it  was  de 
cided  that  they  should  go  to  Buffalo,  charter  a 
small  yacht,  and  do  as  they  pleased  until  the  open 
ing  of  school. 

"  Only  please  keep  out  of  danger,"  had  been 
Mr.  Rover's  pleading  words.  "  You  have  been  in 
peril  enough."  And  the  boys  had  promised  to 
do  their  best,  little  dreaming  of  the  many  adven 
tures  and  dangers  ahead. 

The  boys  knew  very  little  about  the  lakes,  and 
at  the  last  moment  had  invited  Larry  Colby,  an 


6          ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

old  schoolmate,  to  accompany  them.on  the  outing. 
Larry  had  spent  two  summers  on  Lake  Huron 
and  Lake  Superior,  and  knew  both  bodies  of  water 
fairly  well.  But  the  lad  could  not  come  on  at 
once,  and  so  had  sent  word  that  he  would  join  the 
party  at  Sanclusky,  some  time  later.  Larry's 
father  was  rich,  so  the  expense  of  traveling 
counted  for  nothing. 

With  the  boys,  however,  went  one  individual 
with  whom  all  our  old  readers  are  well  acquainted. 
This  was  Alexander  Pop,  the  colored  man  who 
had  once  been  a  waiter  at  Putnam  Hall,  and  who 
was  now  a  servant  to  the  Rovers  in  general  and 
the  three  boys  in  particular.  The  boys  had  done 
much  in  the  past  for  Aleck,  as  they  called  him, 
and  Pop  was  so  greatly  attached  to  the  youths 
that  he  was  ready  at  all  times  to  do  anything  they 
desired. 

"  I  dun  lub  dem  Rober  boys,  aint  no  ust  ter 
talk,"  Pop  would  say.  "  Dem  is  de  most  up-to- 
date  boys  in  de  world,  dat's  wot,  and  da  did  dis 
yeah  niggah  a  good  turn  wot  he  aint  forgittin'  in 
a  hurry,  too."  What  that  good  turn  was  has  al 
ready  been  related  in  full  in  "  The  Rover  Boys  in 
the  Jungle."  Pop  was  now  installed  on  board 
the  Swallow  as  cook  and  general  helper,  a  posi 
tion  he  was  well  fitted  to  fill. 

The  boys  had  laid  out  a  grand  trip,  and  one 


A   STORM  OW  LAKE  ERIE.  7 

which  certainly  promised  a  good  deal  of  pleasure. 
The  first  stop  was  to  be  at  Cleveland,  and  from 
that  city  they  were  to  go  to  Sandusky,  and  then 
up  the  lake  and  through  the  Detroit  River  to  De 
troit.  Here  a  short  stay  was  to  be  made,  and 
then  the  journey  was  to  be  resumed  through  Lake 
St.  Clair  and  the  St.  Clair  River  to  Lake  Huron. 
Once  on  Lake  Huron  they  expected  to  skirt  the 
eastern  coast  of  Michigan,  stopping  whenever 
they  pleased,  and  thus  gradually  make  their  way 
to  Whitefish  Bay  and  Lake  Superior.  What  they 
would  do  when  Lake  Superior  was  reached  would 
depend  upon  how  much  time  was  left  for  the 
outing. 

The  Swallow  was  a  well-built,  sturdy  craft, 
fifty  feet  long  and  correspondingly  broad  of 
beam.  She  had  been  constructed  for  a  pleasure 
boat  and  had  all  of  the  latest  improvements.  She 
belonged  to  a  rich  man  of  Buffalo,  who  had  known 
the  Rovers  for  years.  The  rich  man  was  now 
traveling  in  Europe,  and  had  been  only  too  glad  to 
charter  the  yacht  for  a  period  of  six  weeks. 
When  the  Rover  boys  were  through  with  her  she 
was  to  be  placed  in  charge  of  the  rich  man's  boat 
man,  who  was  to  take  her  back  to  Buffalo. 

The  start  on  Lake  Erie  had  been  full  of  pleas 
ure.  The  yacht  had  a  good  supply  of  provisions 
on  board,  and  everybody  was  in  the  best  of  spirits. 


8          ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

Aleck  Pop  had  brought  along  his  banjo,  and  on 
the  first  evening  out  had  given  them  half  a  dozen 
plantation  songs,  for  he  was  a  good  singer  as  well 
as  player.  On  the  day  following  the  breeze  had 
died  away  and  they  had  all  gone  fishing,  with  fair 
success.  This  was  the  third  day  out,  and  since 
noon  the  wind  had  been  blowing  at  a  lively  rate, 
helping  them  to  make  good  time  on  their  course 
toward  Cleveland.  Now  the  wind  was  blowing 
little  short  of  a  gale,  and  the  sky  was  growing 
blacker  each  instant. 

"  We  are  in  for  it,  beyond  a  doubt,"  said  Dick, 
with  a  serious  shake  of  his  head. 

Every  inch  of  canvas  had  been  taken  in,  yet  the 
'Sitfallozv  spun  along  before  the  wind  rapidly,  ever 
and  anon  dipping  her  bow  deeply  into  the  white- 
caps,  which  now  showed  themselves  upon  all  sides. 

"  Here  she  comes !  "  burst  out  Tom  suddenly. 
"Hold  hard,  everybody!" 

And  then  the  storm  burst  upon  them  in  all  of  its 
fury — a  storm  which  lasted  all  night,  and  one 
wHsl*  the  Rover  boys  never  forgot. 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    DISAPPEARANCE    OF    DICK. 

,  my,  but  this  is  a  corker !  " 

It  was  Tom  who  uttered  the  words,  half  an 
hour  after  he  had  cautioned  everybody  to  hold 
fast.  He  was  standing  at  the  wheel,  helping 
Dick  to  make  the  Swallow  keep  her  bow  up  to  the 
waves,  which  rolled  fiercely  on  every  side  of  the 
craft.  He  cried  out  at  the  top  of  his  lungs,  yet 
his  elder  brother  understood  him  with  difficulty. 

"  I  wish  we  were  out  of  it,"  returned  Dick. 
"  Did  Sam  go  below,  as  I  ordered  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"What  of  Aleck?" 

"  He  is  in  the  galley,  trying  to  keep  his  dishes 
from  being  smashed  to  bits.  He  is  scared,  I  can 
tell  you,  and  said  he  was  sure  we  were  going  to 
the  bottom." 

J     "  If  I  was  sure  of  the  course  I  would  steer  for 
Ashore,  Tom.     I'm  afraid  myself  that  this  is  going 
to  be  more  than  we  bargained  for." 

"  Pooh,  Dick !  We've  been  in  as  bad  a  storm 
before,  and  you  know  it." 


JO        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  But  not  on  Lake  Erie.     This  lake  has  a  repu 
tation  for  turning  out  some  nasty  ones,  that  do 
tremendous  damage.     Light  up,  will  you? — or 
we  may  be  smashing  into  some  other  boat  before  ? 
we  know  it." 

"  I  will,  if  you  can  hold  the  wheel  alone." 

"  I  can  get  along  for  a  few  minutes.  But  it's 
enough  to  pull  a  fellow's  arms  out  by  the  sockets," 
concluded  Dick. 

With  extreme  caution,  for  the  deck  was  as  wet 
and  slippery  as  it  was  unsteady,  Tom  made  his 
way  to  the  tiny  cabin  of  the  yacht.  Here  he 
found  Sam  lighting  the  ship's  lanterns,  four  in 
number. 

"  I  thought  you'd  be  wanting  them,"  said  the 
youngest  Rover.  "  Is  it  letting  up,  do  you 
think?" 

"  No;  if  anything,  it  is  growing  worse." 

"  Don't  you  want  me  to  help  on  deck  ?  I  hate 
to  stay  down  here  alone." 

"  You  can  do  nothing,  Sam.  Dick  and  I  are 
tending  the  wheel,  and  there  is  nothing  else  to  be 
done." 

"  I  might  go  on  the  lookout.     You  can't  watch  - 
verv  well  from  the  stern,"  added  the  youngest 
Rover,  who  did  not  relish  being  kept  back  by  his 
older  brothers. 

"  We  can  watch  good  enough.     Stay  here — it's 


THE  DISAPPEARANCE   OF  DICK.  H 

safer.  If  the  yacht  should  swing  around 

Great  Scott !  " 

Tom  Rover  broke  off  short,  and  with  good  rea 
son.  A  strange  creaking  and  cracking  sound  had 
reached  his  ears,  followed  by  a  bump  and  a  jar 
which  nearly  pitched  him  headlong.  Sam  was 
thrown  down  on  his  back. 

"Something  is  wrong!"  burst  out  Sam,  as 
soon  as  he  could  speak.  "  We  must  have  struck 
something." 

Tom  did  not  answer,  for  the  reason  that  he 
was  already  on  his  way  to  the  deck,  with  a  lan 
tern  slung  in  the  crook  of  his  right  elbow.  Sam 
followed  with  another  lantern,  leaving  the  remain 
ing  ones  wildly  swinging  on  the  hooks  in  the 
cabin's  ceiling. 

"Help!  help!" 

The  cry  came  from  out  of  the  darkness,  some 
where  in  the  wake  of  the  Swallow;  a  cry  cut  partly 
short  by  the  piping  gale.  With  his  heart  thump 
ing  violently,  Tom  leaped  over  the  deck  toward 
the  wheel. 

"  Dick !     What  is  the  matter?  " 

"  Help !  "  repeated  the  voice,  but  now  further 
off  than  ever.  Then  Tom  made  a  discovery 
which  thrilled  him  with  horror. 

The  position  at  the  wheel  was  vacant!  Dick 
was  gone ! 


12        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Dick !  Dick !  Where  are  you !  "  he  shouted 
hoarsely.  "Dick!" 

"  Help !  "  came  more  faintly.  The  cry  was  re 
peated  several  times,  but  nothing-  more  reached 
Tom's  ears  nor  the  hearing  of  his  younger 
brother,  who  was  novy  beside  him,  his  round  face 
as  pale  as  death  itself. 

"  Dick's  overboard !  "  The  words  came  from 
both,  and  each  looked  at  the  other  in  consterna 
tion. 

Both  held  up  their  lanterns,  the  glasses  of  which 
were  speedily  covered  with  flying  spray.  The 
lanterns  made  a  small  semicircle  of  light  at  the 
stern,  but  Dick  was  beyond  that  circle  and  could 
not  be  seen. 

"Take  the  wheel — I'll  get  a  life-preserver!" 
said  Tom,  and  ran  for  the  article  he  had  men 
tioned. 

"  Shall  I  try  to  turn  the  yacht  around  ?  "  ques 
tioned  his  brother,  as  he,  after  several  unsuccess 
ful  attempts,  caught  the  spokes  of  the  wheel, 
which  was  flying  back  and  forth  with  every  pitch 
of  the  craft. 

"  No !  no !  '  We  will  be  swamped  if  you  do  that. 
Keep  her  up  to  the  wind." 

Regardless  of  the  danger,  Tom  flew  across  the 
deck  to  where  there  was  a  life-preserver,  attached 
to  a  hundred  feet  of  small,  but  strong,  rope.  Once 


THE  DISAPPEARANCE   OF  DICK.  13 

at  the  stern  again,  he  threw  the  life-preserver  as 
far  out  as  possible. 

"  Catch  the  lifeline !  "  he  shrieked.  But  if  Dick 
heard  he  gave  no  answer. 

"Can't  we  fire  a  rocket?"  said  Sam.  "We 
ought  to  do  something,"  he  added,  half  desper 
ately. 

Lashing  the  end  of  the  lifeline  to  the  stern,  Tom 
ran  down  into  the  cabin  and  brought  forth  several 
rockets.  With  trembling  hands  he  set  off  first 
one  and  then  another.  The  blaze  was  a  short  one, 
yet  it  revealed  to  them  a  large  mass  of  lumber  ris 
ing  and  falling  on  the  bosom  of  the  turbulent 
waters. 

"  A  lumber  raft.  It  is  going  to  pieces  in  the 
sjiorm." 

"Did  you  see  Dick?" 

"  I  saw  two  persons  on  the  lumber,  but  I  don't 
know  who  they  were.  They  looked  more  dead 
than  alive." 

"  Oh,  I  hope  Dick  isn't  dead !  "  burst  out  Sam, 
and  the  tears  stood  in  his  eyes  as  he  spoke. 

"  Wot's  dat  you  dun  said  ?  "  came  from  out  of 
the  darkness. 

"  Dick's  overboard,"  answered  Tom. 

"  No !  "  A  groan  of  genuine  regret  came  from 
Aleck  Pop.  "  How  it  dun  happen  ?  " 

"  We  must  have  struck  a  lumber  raft  and  the 


14        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES, 

shock  knocked  him  over,"  answered  Sam.  "  Oh, 
Tom,  what  shall  we  do?  " 

"  I'll  try  another  rocket,  Sam — I  don't  know 
of  anything  else." 

It  took  fully  a  minute  to  obtain  another  rocket, 
and  some  red  fire  as  well.  The  red  fire  made 
quite  an  illumination,  in  spite  of  the  storm. 

"  I  don't  see  nuffin,"  said  Pop. 

"  Nor  I,"  added  Tom.  "  The  raft  has  disap 
peared." 

As  the  light  died  out  all  set  up  a  loud  shout. 
But  only  the  howling  wind  answered  them.  And 
now  Sam  noticed  that  the  lifeline  was  drifting 
idly  at  the  stern,  and  there  was  nothing  to  do  but 
to  haul  it  in  again. 

The  hours  which  followed  were  full  of  agony 
to  Tom  and  Sam,  and  the  warm-hearted  colored 
man  was  scarcely  less  affected. 

"What  if  Dick  is  drowned?"  whispered  the 
youngest  Rover.  "  Father  will  never  forgive  us 
for  coming  on  this  trip." 

"  Let  us  hope  for  the  best,"  was  his  brother's 
answer.  "  Dick  has  been  in  a  tight  fix  before. 
He'll  come  out  all  right,  if  he  has  any  show  at  all." 

"  Nobuddy  kin  lib  in  sech  a  storm  as  dis !  "  put 
in  Pop.  "  Why,  it's  'most  as  bad  as  dat  dar  hur 
ricane  we  'perienced  in  Africa.  Jest  see  how  it's 
beginnin'  to  rain." 


THE  DISAPPEARANCE   OF  DICK.  15 

Pop  was  right;  so  far  the  rain  had  held  off  for 
the  most  part,  but  now  it  came  down  steadily  and 
soon  turned  into  little  short  of  a  deluge.  All 
were  speedily  soaked  to  the  skin,  but  this  was  a 
discomfort  to  which,  under  the  circumstances,  no 
one  paid  attention. 

The  Swallow  heaved  and  pitched,  and  fearful 
that  Sam  would  be  lost  overboard,  Tom  told  him 
he  had  better  go  below  again. 

"  You  can  do  nothing  up  here,"  he  said.  "  If 
anything  turns  up,  I'll  call  you." 

"  But  you  must  be  careful,"  pleaded  Sam.  "  If 
I  were  you,  I'd  tie  myself  to  the  wheel,"  and  this 
is  what  Tom  did. 

Slowly  the  night  wore  away,  and  with  the  com 
ing  of  morning  the  storm  abated  somewhat,  al 
though  the  waves  still  lashed  angrily  around  the 
'Swallow.  With  the  first  streak  of  dawn  all  were 
on  deck,  watching  anxiously  for  some  sign  of  the 
lumber  raft  or  of  Dick. 

"  Nothing  in  sight !  "  groaned  Sam,  and  he  was 
right.  The  raft  had  disappeared  completely,  and 
all  around  them  was  a  dreary  waste  of  water,  with 
a  cloudy  sky  overhead. 

Feeling  that  he  must  do  something,  Aleck  Pop 
prepared  a  breakfast  of  broiled  fish  and  hot  coffee, 
but,  when  summoned  to  the  repast,  both  of  the 
Rovers  shook  their  heads. 


1 6        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  I  couldn't  eat  a  mouthful,"  sighed  Sam.  "  It 
would  choke  me." 

"  We  must  find  Dick  first,  Aleck,"  said  Tom. 
"  Go  ahead  yourself  and  have  breakfast.  Don't 
mind  us." 

"  'Deed,  I  aint  no  hungrier  dan  youse  is,"  re 
plied  the  colored  man  soberly.  "  But  youse  had 
bettah  drink  sum  ob  dat  coffee,  or  youse  might 
cotch  a  chill."  And  he  made  each  sip  some  of  the 
beverage,  bringing  it  on  deck  for  that  purpose. 

At  half-past  seven  Tom  espied  a  cloud  of  smoke 
on  the  horizon.  "  I  think  it's  a  lake  steamer,"  he 
said  to  his  brother,  and  he  proved  to  be  right.  It 
was  a  freighter  known  as  the  Captain  Rallow, 
running  between  Detroit  and  Buffalo.  Soon  the 
steamer  came  closer  and  they  hailed  her. 

"  Seen  anything  of  a  lumber  wreck,  with  some 
men  on  it  ?  "  questioned  Tom  eagerly. 

"  Haven't  seen  any  wreck,"  was  the  answer, 
from  the  captain  of  the  freighter.  "  Whose  raft 
was  it?" 

"  I  don't  know.  The  raft  hit  us  in  the  dark 
ness  and  a  young  man  on  our  yacht  was  knocked 
overboard.  We  lit  some  red  fire  and  saw  two 
people  on  the  raft,  which  seemed  to  be  going  to 
pieces." 

This  news  interested  the  owner  of  the  freight 
steamer  greatly,  since  he  had  a  brother  who  was 


THE  DISAPPEARANCE   OF  DICK.  17 

in  the  business  of  rafting  lumber,  and  he  asked 
Tom  to  give  him  the  particulars  of  the  affair. 

"  We  can't  give  you  any  particulars.  We  were 
taken  completely  by  surprise,  and  it  was  too  dark 
to  see  much,"  said  Tom.  Nevertheless  he  and 
Sam  told  what  they  could,  to  which  the  freight 
captain  listened  with  close  attention. 

"  I'll  keep  my  eye  open  for  the  raft,"  said  the 
latter.  "  And  if  I  see  anything  of  your  brother 
I'll  certainly  take  him  on  board." 

"  Where  are  you  bound  ?  " 

"  I  am  going  to  stop  at  Cleveland  first.  Then 
I  go  straight  through  to  Buffalo." 

A  few  words  more  passed,  and  then  the  captain 
of  the  freight  steamer  gave  the  signal  to  go 
ahead. 

The  stopping  of  her  engines  had  caused  the 
steamer  to  drift  quite  close  to  the  Swallow,  and  as 
she  swung  around  those  on  the  yacht  caught  a 
good  view  of  the  freighter's  stern  deck. 

There  were  a  small  number  of  passengers  on 
board,  and  as  Sam  looked  them  over  he  gave  a 
sudden  start. 

"  My  gracious,  can  it  be  possible !  "  he  gasped. 

"  Can  what  be  possible,  Sam?  "  queried  Tom. 

"Look  Hook!" 

"At  what?" 

"  At  the  passengers  on  the  steamer.     Am  I 


IS        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

dreaming,  or  is  that — he  is  gone !  "  And  Sam's 
face  fell. 

"  Who  are  you  talking  about?  " 

"  Arnold  Baxter !  He  was  on  the  steamer, 
just  as  sure  as  I  stand  here.  And  we  both 
thought  him  dead !  " 


CHAPTER  III. 

ON   A   LUMBER   RAFT. 

"You  think  you  saw  Arnold  Baxter?"  de 
manded  Tom. 

"  Yes,  I  saw  Arnold  Baxter,  just  as  plain  as 
"day." 

"  Sam,  you  must  be " 

"  No,  I  am  not  dreaming.  It  was  Arnold  Bax 
ter,  true  enough.  As  soon  as  he  saw  I  had  spotted 
him  he  drew  out  of  sight." 

"  But  we  thought  he  was  dead — buried  under 
that  landslide  out  in  Colorado." 

"  We  didn't  find  his  body,  and  he  isn't  dead. 
Why,  I  would  never  make  a  mistake  in  that 
rascal's  face,  never,"  and  Sam  shook  his  head  to 
emphasize  his  words. 

"Was  Dan  with  him?" 

"  I  didn't  see  the  son." 

"  If  it  was  really  Arnold  Baxter  we  ought  to 
let  the  authorities  know  at  once,  so  that  they  can 
arrest  him  for  getting  out  of  prison  on  that  bogus 
pardon." 

"  Yes,  and  we  ought  to  let  father  know,  too, 


20        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

for  you  may  be  sure  Baxter  will  do  all  he  can  to 
get  square  with  us  for  keeping  the  Eclipse  mining 
claim  out  of  his  grasp." 

"  He  can't  do  anything  about  that  claim  now. 
Our  claim  is  established  by  law,  and  he  is  nothing 
but  an  escaped  jailbird.  But  I  agree  he  may  give 
us  lots  of  trouble  in  other  directions.  I  presume 
he  would  like  to  see  us  all  hung  for  the  way  we 
got  ahead  of  him  and  his  tools." 

"  If  the  steamer  wasn't  so  far  off  we  might 
hail  her,"  continued  Sam,  but  this  was  now  out 
of  the  question. 

Both  lads  were  very  much  disturbed,  and  with 
good  reason.  Arnold  Baxter  had  been  an  enemy 
to  Mr.  Rover  for  years,  and  this  meant  a  good 
deal  when  the  desperate  character  of  the  man  was 
taken  into  consideration.  He  was  a  well-edu 
cated  fellow,  but  cruel  and  unprincipled  to  the  last 
degree,  and  one  who  would  hesitate  at  nothing  in 
order  to  accomplish  his  purpose. 

"  Dat's  de  wust  yet,"  was  Aleck  Pop's  com 
ment.  "  I  was  finkin'  dat  rascal  was  plumb  dead, 
suah.  And  Dan,  too!  Suah  yo'  didn't  see  dat 
good-fo'-nuffin  boy  ?  " 

"  No,  I  didn't  see  Dan." 

"  He  must  have  been  with  his  father  when  the 
landslide  occurred,"  went  on  Tom.  "  And  if  one 
escaped  more  than  likely  the  other  did,  too.  My, 


ON  A   LUMBER  RAFT.  21 

how  I  despise  that  chap !  and  have,  ever  since  we 
had  our  first  row  with  him  at  Putnam  Hall." 

"  I  wonder  what  brought  Arnold  Baxter  back 
to  this  section  of  the  country?  I  shouldn't  think 
he  would  dare  to  come  back." 

"  He  always  was  daring  to  the  last  degree  in 
some  matters,  just  as  he  is  cowardly  in  others.  I 
would  give  something  to  know  if  Dan  is  with 
him." 

"  We  might  follow  up  the  steamer,  if  it  wasn't 
for  poor  Dick." 

The  boys  talked  the  matter  over  for  some  time, 
and  while  doing  this  the  sails  of  the  Swallow  were 
again  hoisted,  and  they  turned  the  yacht  back  to 
the  vicinity  where  Dick  had  gone  overboard. 

And  while  Tom  and  Sam  are  looking  for  their 
elder  brother,  let  us  turn  back  and  learn  what 
really  did  become  of  Dick. 

He  was  waiting  for  Tom  to  come  on  deck  with 
the  lanterns  when,  of  a  sudden,  something  black 
and  threatening  loomed  up  out  of  the  darkness  to 
the  starboard  of  the  Swallow. 

The  mass  was  the  better  half  of  a  monstrous 
lumber  raft,  which  was  rapidly  going  to  pieces  in 
the  storm. 

The  raft,  or  rather  what  was  left  of  it,  hit  the 
'Swallow  a  glancing  blow,  otherwise  the  sailing 
craft  must  have  been  stove  in  and  sunk. 


22        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

The  shock  caught  Dick  with  one  hand  off  the 
wheel,  and,  before  he  could  catch  hold  again,  the 
youth  found  himself  flung  heels  into  the  air  and 
over  the  Swallow's  stern. 

Down  and  down  he  went  into  the  lake  waters, 
until  he  thought  he  would  never  come  up. 

The  turn  of  affairs  bewildered  him,  and  he  did 
not  come  fully  to  his  senses  until  his  head  struck 
one  of  the  timbers  of  the  raft. 

He  clutched  the  timber  as  a  drowning  man 
clutches  the  proverbial  straw,  and  tried  to  draw 
himself  to  the  surface  of  the  lake,  only  to  discover, 
to  his  horror,  that  there  were  timbers  to  both  sides 
of  him,  cutting  off  his  further  progress  upward. 

"  Must  I  be  drowned  like  a  rat  in  a  trap !  "  was 
the  agonizing  thought  which  rushed  through  his 
brain,  and  then  he  pushed  along  from  one  timber 
to  another  until  the  last  was  reached  and  he  came 
up,  almost  overcome  and  panting  heavily  for 
breath. 

"  Help !  help ! "  he  cried  feebly,  and  presently 
heard  his  brothers  answer  him.  Then  the  life 
line  was  thrown,  but  it  fell  short  and  did  him  no 
good.  By  the  red  fire  and  the  rockets  he  saw  the 
position  of  the  Swallow,  and  saw  his  brothers,  but 
was  too  weak  to  even  signal  to  Sam  and  Tom. 

It  was  with  an  effort  that  he  at  last  drew  him 
self  to  the  top  of  some  of  the  lumber.  This 


ON  A   LUMBER  RAFT.  »3 

movement  came  none  too  soon,  for  a  moment  later 
one  of  the  outside  chains  of  the  raft  broke,  and 
fully  a  third  of  what  was  left  of  the  lumber  was 
scattered  in  all  directions. 

"  Hullo,  Bragin !  is  that  you?  " 

The  cry  came  from  out  of  the  darkness  and 
from  the  other  end  of  the  top  lumber. 

"  Are  you  calling  to  me?  "  replied  Dick,  in  as 
loud  a  voice  as  he  could  muster. 

"  Is  that  you,  /Bragin?  "  repeated  tne  voice. 

"  I  am  not  Br-ctgin,"  answered  Dick.  "  Where 
are  you  ?  " 

"  Here."  And  the  unknown  repeated  the  cry 
until  Dick  located  and  joined  him.  He  was  a 
burly  lumberman  of  forty,  with  a  heavy  black 
beard  and  an  equally  heavy  voice.  He  gazed  at 
the  youth  in  astonishment. 

"Hullo!  Where  did  you  come  from?"  he 
demanded. 

"  From  the  yacht  this  lumber  raft  just  struck." 

"  Did  the  shock  knock  ye  overboard?  " 

"  It  did." 

"  Humph !     I  thought  ye  was  Bragin." 
»     "I  came  pretty  close  to  being  drowned,  for  I 
came  up  under  the  lumber." 

"  Well,  we  aint  out  o'  the  woods  yet,  young 
man.  Didn't  see  nuthin  o'  Bragin,  did  ye?  '* 

"  I've  seen  nobody  but  you." 


24       ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Then  he  must  be  down  to  the  lake  bottom  by 
this  time." 

"  He  was  on  the  raft  with  you  ?  " 

"  Yes.  He  and  I  left  the  tug  to  see  to  the 
chains  when  the  storm  came  up." 

"Where  is  the  tug?"' 

"  The  raft  broke  away  from  her  at  the  fust 
blow.  A  fool  of  a  greenhorn  was  a-managin'  of 
the  thing,  an'  this  is  the  result.  Come  here — it's 
safer." 

Dick  was  perfectly  willing  to  crawl  closer  to 
the  burly  lumberman,  who  was  a  good  fellow,  as 
could  be  seen  by  a  glance. 

"  We'll  be  all  right,  if  this  section  o'  the  lumber 
keeps  together,"  went  on  the  lumberman. 
"  There  are  four  chains  here,  so  it  ought  to  hold.'* 

Once  safe,  for  the  time  being,  Dick  began  to 
wonder  about  the  fate  of  the  Swallow. 

11  Did  the  yacht  go  down  ?  "  he  asked  anxiously. 

"  I  reckon  not,  young  man.  They  burned  red 
fire,  you  know.  They  wouldn't  do  that  if  there 
was  much  trouble  aboard." 

"  That  is  true."  Dick  was  silent  for  a  moment. 
"  I  wish  I  could  get  back  to  her." 

"  Be  thankful  that  ye  aint  at  the  bottom  o'  the 
lake.  If  we  kin  outride  this  storm  we'll  be  safe 
enough,  for  the  tug  will  be  lookin'  for  the  raft 
when  it  gits  light." 


ON  A   LUMBER  RAFT.  25 

Slowly  the  hours  wore  away,  and  in  the  mean 
while  Dick  learned  that  the  lumberman's  name 
was  Luke  Peterson  and  that  he  was  from  the  tim- 
berlands  of  Michigan. 

"  I  used  to  be  in  the  United  States  service  on 
'  the  lakes,  hunting  down  smugglers  between  here 
and  Canada,"  said  Peterson.  "  But  that  was 
years  ago." 

"  Do  they  do  much  smuggling?  "  asked  Dick. 

"  More  than  most  folks  think,"  was  the  de 
cided  answer. 

The  lumberman  listened  to  Dick's  tale  with 
interest.  Of  course  the  story  had  to  be  short,  and 
was  frequently  interrupted,  as  high  waves  would 
come  along  and  almost  sweep  them  into  the  lake. 
Both  lay  flat,  clutching  at  the  lumber  and  at  the 
huge  chains  which  held  it,  and  which  had  thus  far 
refused  to  part,  although  the  strain  upon  them 
were  tremendous. 

It  was  about  two  o'clock  in  the  morning  when 
the  storm,  according  to  Dick's  calculation,  reached 
its  height.  The  waves  literally  drove  over  the 
•raft  from  end  to  end,  and  it  was  all  both  he  and 
Luke  Peterson  could  do  to  keep  on  the  timbers. 

"  Hold  on  tight,  young  man,  if  ye  value  your 
life !  "  roared  the  lumberman.  "  An'  if  the  raft 
parts,  stick  to  the  fust  timber  ye  lay  hands  on." 

Peterson  had  scarcely  spoken  when  the  raft 


26       ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

went  up  to  the  top  of  a  mighty  wave  and  then 
came  down  with  a  dull  boom  in  the  hollow  below. 
The  shock  was  terrific,  and  it  was  followed  by 
loud  reports  as  the  chains  they  had  been  depend 
ing  upon  snapped,  one  after  another.  Imme-' 
diately  the  lumber  loosened  up  and  began  to  drift 
apart. 

"  Take  care  o'  yerself !  "  shouted  the  lumber 
man,  and  hung  fast  to  an  extra  long  and  heavy 
log.  Dick  heard  him,  but  could  not  answer  for 
fear  of  getting  his  mouth  full  of  water.  The 
youth  turned  over  and  over,  clutched  at  one  log 
and  missed  it,  missed  a  second  and  a  third,  and 
then  touched  a  fourth,  and  clung  with  a  deathlike 
grip  that  nothing  could  loosen. 

It  was  a  soul-trying  time,  and  one  which  poor 
Dick  never  forgot.  The  storm  roared  all  around 
him,  mingled  with  the  thumping  and  bumping, 
grinding  and  crashing,  of  the  sticks  of  timber. 
Once  his  left  leg  was  caught  between  two  sticks, 
and  for  the  instant  he  was  afraid  the  limb  would 
be  crushed.  But  then  the  pressure  lessened  and 
he  drew  the  foot  up  in  a  hurry.  The  water  washed 
into  his  face  and  over  him,  and  he  caught  his 
breath  with  difficulty.  Each  instant  looked  as  if 
it  might  be  his  last 


CHAPTER  IV. 

IN  THE  HANDS  OF  THE  ENEMY. 

DAYLIGHT  found  poor  Dick  all  but  exhausted. 
He  still  held  to  the  stick  of  lumber,  but  his  hands 
were  numb  and  without  feeling,  and  his  lower 
limbs  were  in  the  same  condition. 

"  I  can't  stand  this  much  longer,"  was  his  dis 
mal  thought.  "  I've  got  to  let  go  soon." 

He  looked  around  him  anxiously.  All  that 
met  his  eyes  was  the  broad  expanse  of  water,  with 
here  and  there  a  solitary  stick  of  lumber.  He 
gazed  about  for  Luke  Peterson,  but  the  lumber 
man  was  not  in  sight. 

"  He  must  have  been  drowned,"  he  thought. 
"  Heaven  help  me,  or  I'll  go,  too !  " 

Gradually  the  sky  cleared  of  the  clouds,  and  the 
hot  July  sun  began  to  pour  down  with  a  glare  on 
the  water  that  was  well-nigh  blinding.  As  the 
waves  went  down  he  changed  his  position  on  the 
log,  and  this  gave  him  temporary  relief.  Soon 
the  sun  made  his  head  ache,  and  he  began  to  see 
strange  visions.  Presently  he  gut  out  his 


28        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

thinking  that  Tom  was  before  him,  and  then  went 
with  a  splash  into  the  lake. 

Almost  unconscious  of  what  he  was  doing,  he 
.  caught  the  log  again.  But  he  was  now  too  weak 
to  pull  himself  up.  "  It's  the  end,"  he  thought 
bitterly.  Then  a  cry  came  to  him,  a  cry  that 
seemed  half  real,  half  imaginary. 

"  Hullo,  Rover !     Is  that  you  ?  " 

It  was  Peterson  who  was  calling.  The  lumber 
man  had  drifted  up  on  another  log,  and  as  the  two 
sticks  bumped  together  he  caught  hold  of  the 
youth  and  assisted  him  to  his  former  resting 
place. 

"  I — I  can't  hold  on  any — any  longer!  "  gasped 
Dick. 

"  Try,  lad,  try !  Some  kind  of  a  boat  is  bound 
to  appear,  sooner  or  later." 

"  I — I  am  nu — numb  all  over." 

"  I  suppose  that's  true — I'm  numb  myself. 
But  don't  ye  give  up." 

Encouraged   somewhat   by   Peterson's   words 
Dick  continued  to  hold  on,  and  a  few  minutes 
later  the  lumberman  gave  a  cheering  cry : 
,     "  A  steamer!     Saved  at  last!  " 

The  lumberman  was  right;  the  freighter  Tom 
and  Sam  had  hailed  was  approaching,  the  casta 
ways  having  been  discovered  by  the  aid  of  a  ma 
rine  glass. 


IN  THE  HANDS  OF   THE  ENEMY.  29 

"  A  man  and  a  boy,"  observed  Captain  Jasper 
to  his  mate. 

"  The  boy  looks  pretty  well  done  for,"  returned 
the  mate.     "  He  must  be  the  one  that  was  thrown  , 
off  the  yacht." 

"More  than  likely." 

As  speedily  as  possible  the  freight  steamer  drew 
closer,  and  a  line  was  thrown  to  Peterson. 

He  turned  to  give  one  end  to  Dick,  and  then 
made  the  discovery  that  the  latter  had  fainted 
from  exhaustion. 

"  Poor  fellow !  "  he  muttered,  and  caught  the 
youth  just  as  he  was  sliding  into  the  lake. 

It  was  no  easy  task  to  get  Dick  on  board  of  the 
freight  steamer.  But  it  was  accomplished  at  last, 
and,  still  unconscious,  he  was  carried  to  a  state 
room  and  made  as  comfortable  as  possible. 

Peterson  was  but  little  the  worse  for  the  adven- 
tui-e,  and  his  chief  anxiety  was  for  his  friend 
Bragin,  of  whom,  so  far,  nothing  had  been  heard. 

The  coming  of  Dick  on  board  of  the  Captain 
R(jllow  was  viewed  with  much  astonishment  by 
two  of  the  passengers  on  the  freighter. 

These  two  persons  were  Arnold  Baxter  and  his  ••• 
SON  Dan. 

The  two  had  quite  recovered  from  the  injuries 
received  in  the  landslide  in  Colorado,  and  it  may 
be  as  well  to  state  right  here  that  they  were  bound 


3»       ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

East  in  order  to  carry  out  a  new  plot  which 
the  elder  Baxter  had  hatched  up  against  the 
Rovers. 

What  that  plot  was  will  be  disclosed  as  our 
story  proceeds. 

"  Father,  it  is  Dick  Rover,"  cried  Dan  Baxter, 
after  having  seen  the  unconscious  one  brought  on 
board. 

"  Hush,  Dan !  I  know  it,"  whispered  Arnold 
Baxter. 

"  It's  a  pity  he  wasn't  drowned  in  the  lake." 

"  I  agree  with  you.  But  he  isn't  dead,  and 
we'll  have  to  keep  out  of  sight  for  the  rest  of  the 
trip." 

"Humph!  I  am  not  afraid  of.him!"  said 
the  bully,  for,  as  old  readers  know,  Dan  had  never 
been  anything  else. 

"  That  may  be,  but  if  he  sees  us  he  may — ahem 
— make  much  trouble  for  me." 

"  On  account  of  our  doings  in  Colorado  ? 
iWhat  can  he  prove?  Nothing." 

"  Perhaps  he  can.  Besides,  Dan,  you  must  re 
member  that  the  officers  of  New  York  State  are 
still  after  me." 

"  Yes,  I  haven't  forgotten  that." 

"  I  wish  how  that  I  had  put  on  that  false  wig 

and  beard  before  we  left  Detroit,"  went  on  Arnold 

* 

Baxter.     "  But  I  hated  to  put  them  on  before  it 


IN  THE  HANDS  OF   THE  ENEMY.  31 

was    absolutely    necessary — the    weather    is    so 
warm." 

"  Can  you  put  them  on  now  ?  " 

"  Hardly,  since  all  on  board  know  my  real 
looks.  I  will  have  to  keep  out  of  Rover's  sight." 

"  I  would  like  to  know  what  he  is  doing  out 
here." 

"  On  a  pleasure  trip,  most  likely." 

The  talk  went  on  for  some  time,  and  then  Dan 
approached  one  of  the  mates  of  the  freighter,  who 
had  just  come  from  the  stateroom  to  which  Dick 
had  been  taken. 

"How  is  that  young  fellow  getting  on?"  he 
asked  carelessly. 

"  He's  in  bad  shape,"  was  the  answer. 

"Do  you  think  he'll  die?" 

"  Hardly,  but  he  is  very  weak  and  completely 
out  of  his  mind.  The  hot  sun,  coming  after  the 
storm,  must  have  affected  his  brain." 

"  Out  of  his  mind  ?  Doesn't  he  recognize  any 
body?" 

"  No,  he  talks  nothing  but  lumber,  and  cries  out 
to  be  pulled  from  the  water.     Poor  boy!  it's  too' 
bad,  isn't  it?" 

"  It  is  too  bad,"  said  Dan  Baxter  hypocritically. 
"  Do  you  know  his  name?  " 

*"  &o,  but  he's  a  brother  to  those  boys  who 
us  from  the  yacht  a  couple  of  hours  ago. 


3«        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

A  lumber  raft  struck  the  yacht  and  the  boy  was 
knocked  overboard  and  managed  to  cling  to  some 
timber." 

"  Is  the  man  who  was  saved  his  friend?  " 
"  No,  he  was  on  the  raft  and  the  two  are  stran 
gers;"  and  with  this  remark  the  mate  of  the 
freight  steamer  passed  on. 

Without  delay  Dan  told  his  father  of  what  he 
had  heard.  Arnold  Baxter  was  much  pleased. 

"  If  he  remains  out  of  his  mind  we'll  be  safe 
enough,"  he  said.     "  I  presume  they'll  put  him 
off  at  Cleveland  and  send  him  to  the  hospital." 
"  I  wonder  where  that  yacht  is  ?  " 
"  Oh,  we  have  left  her  miles  behind." 
"  And  how  soon  will  we  reach  Cleveland  ?  " 
"  Inside  of  half  an  hour,  so  I  heard  one  of  the 
deck  hands  say." 

No  more  was  said  for  the  time  being,  but  both 
father  and  son  set  to  thinking  deeply,  and  their 
thoughts  ran  very  much  in  the  same  channel. 

Just  as  the  freight  steamer  was  about  to  make 
the  landing  at  Cleveland,  Arnold  Baxter  touched 
his  son  on  the  arm. 

"If  they  take  Dick  Rover  ashore,  let  us  go 
ashore  too,"  he  whispered. 

"  I  was  thinking  of  that,  dad,"  was  Dan's  an 
swer.  "  Was  you  thinking,  too,  of  getting  him 
in  our  power  ?  " 


IN   THE  HANDS  OF  THE  ENEMY.  33 

"  Yes." 

"  I  don't  see  why  we  can't  do  it — if  he  is  still 
unconscious." 

"  It  won't  hurt  to  try.  But  we  will  have  to 
work  quick,  for  more  than  likely  his  brothers  will 
follow  us  to  this  city,"  went  on  Arnold  Baxter. 

The  steamer  had  but  little  freight  for  Cleve 
land,  so  the  stop  was  only  a  short  one. 

When  poor  Dick  was  brought  up  on  a  cot,  still 
unconscious,  Arnold  Baxter  stepped  forward. 

"  I  have  determined  to  stop  off  at  Cleveland," 
he  said  to  Captain  Jasper.  "  If  there  is  anything 
I  can  do  for  this  poor  fellow,  I  will  do  it  will 
ingly." 

"  Why,  I  thought  you  were  going  through  to 
Buffalo,"  returned  the  captain  in  surprise. 

"  I  was  going  through,  but  I've  just  remem 
bered  some  business  that  must  be  attended  to. 
I'll  take  the  train  for  Buffalo  to-morrow.  If  you 
want  me  to  see  to  it  that  this  poor  fellow  is 
placed  in  the  hospital,  I'll  do  it." 

The  offer  appeared  a  good  one,  and  relieved 
Captain  Jasper's  mind  greatly. 

"  You  are  kind,  sir,"  he  said.  "  It  isn't  every 
one  who  would  put  himself  to  so  much  trouble." 

"  I  was  wrecked  myself  once,"  smiled  Arnold 
Baxter.  "  And  I  know  how  miserable  I  felt  when 
nobody  gave  me  a  hand." 


34       ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  I  suppose  the  authorities  will  take  htm  until 
his  brothers  come  in  on  that  yacht." 

"  There  is  no  need  to  send  him  to  a  public  in 
stitution.  I  will  see  to  it  that  he  gets  to  a  first- 
t  class  hotel,"  went  on  Arnold  Baxter  smoothly. 

There  was  a  little  more  talk,  and  then  Dick  was 
carried  ashore  and  a  coach  was  called. 

By  this  time  the  freight  steamer  was  ready  to 
leave,  and  a  minute  later  she  proceeded  on  her 
way. 

Arnold  Baxter  and  Dan  looked  around  and  saw 
only  a  few  people  at  hand.  In  the  crowd  was 
Luke  Peterson,  who  now  came  forward. 

"Want  any  help?"  asked  the  lumberman  re 
spectfully. 

"  You  might  keep  an  eye  open  for  that  yacht," 
replied  Arnold  Baxter. 

"  All  right,  sir.  Where  are  you  going  to  take 
young  Rover  ?  " 

"  To  the  Commercial  Hotel.  I  am  well  known 
there,  and  can  easily  get  him  a  good  room  and  the 
necessary  medical  attention." 

"  Then,  if  I  see  anything  of  the  yacht,  I'll  send 
his  brothers  up  to  the  hotel  after  him." 

"That's  it,"  returned  Arnold  Baxter.  He 
turned  to  the  driver  of  the  coach.  "  To  the 
Commercial  Hotel,"  he  went  on,  in  a  loud  voice. 
"  And  drive  as  easy  as  you  can." 


IN  THE  HANDS  OF   THE  ENEMY.  Z$ 

Dan  was  already  in  the  coach,  supporting  poor 
Dick  in  his  arms.  Arnold  Baxter  leaped  in  and 
banged  the  door  shut.  Soon  the  coach  was  mov 
ing  away  from  the  water  front  and  in  the  direc- 
ytion  of  the  hotel  which  had  been  mentioned. 

"Of  course  you  are  not  going  to  the  Commer 
cial  Hotel,"  observed  Dan,  as  soon  as  he  felt  safe 
to  speak. 

"  Leave  it  all  to  me,  my  son,"  was  Arnold  Bax 
ter's  reply.  "  We  got  him  away  nicely,  didn't 
we?" 

"  Yes,  but " 

"  Never  mind  the  future,  Dan.     How  is  he?  " 

"  Dead  as  a  stone,  so  far  as  knowing  anything 
is  concerned." 

"  I  trust  he  remains  so,  for  a  while  at  least." 

The  coach  rattled  on,  and  presently  came  to  a 
halt  in  front  of  the  hotel  which  had  been  men 
tioned. 

"  Wait  here  until  I  get  back,"  said  Arnold  Bax 
ter  to  his  son  and  to  the  coach  driver,  and  then 
hurried  inside  of  the  building. 

Instead  of  asking  for  a  room  he  spent  a  few 
minutes  in  looking  over  a  business  directory. 

"  It's  too  bad,  but  they  haven't  a  single  room 
vacant,"  he  said,  on  coming  back  to  the  coach. 
"  I've  a  good  mind  to  take  him  to  some  private 
hospital,  after  all.  Do  you  know  where  Dr.  Kar* 


36        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

ley's  place  is?  "  he  went  on,  turning  to  the  coach 
driver. 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  drive  us  to  that  place." 

Again  the  coach  went  on.  Dr.  Karley's  Pri 
vate  Sanitarium  was  on  the  outskirts  of  Cleveland, 
and  it  took  half  an  hour  to  reach  it.  It  was  an 
old-fashioned  building  surrounded  by  a  high 
board  fence.  Entering  the  grounds,  Arnold  Bax 
ter  ascended  the  piazza  and  rang  the  bell. 

A  negro  answered  the  summons,  and  ushered 
him  into  a  dingy  parlor.  Soon  Dr.  Karley,  a 
dried-up,  bald-headed,  old  man  appeared. 

"  And  what  can  I  do  for  you,  sir?  "  he  asked, 
in  a  squeaky  voice. 

"  Just  the  man  I  wanted  to  meet,"  thought  Ar 
nold  Baxter. 

He  was  a  good  reader  of  character,  and  saw  that 
Dr.  Karley  would  do  almost  anything  for  money. 

The  doctor's  sanitarium  was  of  a  "  shady  " 
character.  Among  the  inmates  were  two  old 
men,  put  there  by  their  relatives  merely  to  get 
them  out  of  the  way,  and  an  old  lady  who  was  said 
to  be  crazy  by  those  who  wished  to  get  possession  ' 
of  her  money. 

"  I  have  a  peculiar  case  on  hand,  doctor,"  said 
Arnold  Baxter,  after  introducing  himself  as  Mr. 
Arnold.  "  A  young  friend  of  mine  has  been  al- 


IN   THE  HANDS  OF   THE  ENEMY.  37 

most  drowned  in  the  lake.  I  would  like  you  to 
take  charge  of  him  for  a  day  or  two."  . 

"  Well,  I— er " 

"  I  will  pay  you  well  for  your  services,"  went 
\  on  Arnold  Baxter. 

"  You  have  him  with  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  in  a  coach  outside.  He  was  found  drift 
ing  on  a  log  and  almost  out  of  his  head  on  account 
of  exposure  to  the  water  and  the  hot  sun.  I  think 
a  few  days  of  rest  and  medical  attention  will  bring 
him  around  all  right." 

The  little  old  doctor  bobbed  his  head.  "  I  will 
go  out  and  see  him,"  he  said. 

Quarter  of  an  hour  later  found  Dick  in  an 
upper  room  of  the  sanitarium,  lying  on  a  com 
fortable  bed,  and  with  Dr.  Karley  caring  for  him. 

In  the  meantime  Arnold  Baxter  had  gone  out 
and  paid  the  coach  driver. 

"  Do  you  generally  stand  down  by  the  docks?  " 
he  asked. 

"  No,  sir;  my  stand  is  uptown,"  was  the  reply. 
"  I  had  just  brought  down  a  passenger  when  you 
hailed  me.  But  I  can  go  down  for  you,  if  you 
'wish." 

"  It  will  not  be  necessary.  The  doctor  has  a 
carriage,  and  I  will  hire  that  later  on,  when  I  see 
how  the  patient  is  making  out." 

"  All  right,  sir;  then  I'm  off." 


38       ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

As  the  coach  passed  out  of  sight  Arnold 
Baxter  chuckled  to  himself. 

"  I  reckon  that  was  well  done,"  he  muttered. 
"  I  don't  believe  the  Rovers  will  find  their  brother 
very  soon,  if  they  ever  find  him! " 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE    SAILING    OF    THE    "  PEACOCK." 

"  OH,  my,  what  a  bad  dream  I  have  had !  " 

Such  were  the  words  which  Dick  uttered  to 
himself  when  he  came  once  again  to  the  full  pos 
session  of  his  senses. 

He  gazed  around  him  curiously.  He  was  in  a 
plainly  furnished  room,  lying  on  the  top  of  a  bed 
covered  with  a  rubber  blanket,  so  that  his  wet 
clothing  might  not  soil  the  linen  beneath.  His 
coat  and  shoes  had  been  removed,  likewise  his  col 
lar  and  tie,  but  that  was  all. 

The  shades  of  the  two  windows  of  the  apart 
ment  were  tightly  drawn  and  a  lamp  on  the  table 
lit  up  the  room  but  dimly,  for  it  was  now  night. 
No  one  was  present  but  the  sufferer. 

"  Well,  one  thing  is  certain,  I  didn't  drown, 
after  all,"  he  went  on.  Then  he  tried  to  sit  up, 
but  fell  back  exhausted. 

He  wondered  where  he  was,  and  if  Tom  and 
Sam  were  near,  and  while  he  was  wondering  he 
fell  into  a  light  sleep  which  did  a  great  deal  to 
ward  restoring  him  to  himself. 

39 


4°        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

When  Dick  awoke  he  found  Dr.  Karley  at 
hand,  ready  to  give  him  some  nourishing  food. 
The  doctor  had  just  come  from  a  long  talk  with 
Arnold  Baxter,  and  it  may  as  well  be  stated  that 
the  two  men  understood  each  other  pretty  thor 
oughly. 

"  Where  am  I  ?  "  he  asked,  in  a  fairly  strong 
voice. 

"  Safe,"  said  the  old  doctor  soothingly. 
"  Here,  take  this.  It  will  do  you  a  whole  lot  of 
good." 

"  Are  my  brothers  around?  " 

"  We'll  talk  later,  after  you  are  stronger." 

The  old  doctor  would  say  no  more.  Dick  took 
the  medicine  offered,  and  did  really  feel  stronger. 
Then  a  light  breakfast  was  brought  in,  of  which 
he  partook  readily.  The  food  gone,  the  doctor 
disappeared,  locking  the  door  after  him,  but  so 
softly  that  Dick  was  not  aware  of  the  fact  until 
some  time  later. 

While  Dick  was  trying  to  get  back  his  strength 
the  Baxters  were  not  idle. 

Arnold  Baxter  had  on  his  person  all  the  money 
he  possessed,  a  little  over  three  thousand  dollars. 
This  had  been  saved  from  the  wreck  of  his  expe 
dition  to  the  West,  and  he  was  now  resolved  to 
spend  every  dollar  of  it,  if  necessary,  in  bringing 
the  Rovers  to  terms,  as  he  put  it. 


THE   SAILING  OF   THE   "PEACOCK."          4* 

"  I  was  going  to  New  York  State  to  get  the 
youngest  Rover  boy  in  my  power,"  he  said  to 
Dan,  "  but  fate  has  thrown  Dick  in  our  path,  and 
so  we  will  take  him  instead.  Once  he  is  abso 
lutely  in  our  power,  I  am  sure  I  can  bring  Ander 
son  Rover  to  terms  and  make  him  turn  the  entire 
right  to  that  Eclipse  mine  over  to  my  representa 
tives." 

"  It's  a  ticklish  job,"  replied  the  son.  "  What 
of  this  doctor  here?  Won't  he  suspect  any 
thing?" 

"  I  reckon  the  doctor  is  no  better  than  he  ought 
to  be,  Dan.  I  think  I  see  my  way  clear  to  doing 
as  I  please  with  him.  A  couple  of  hundred  dol 
lars  will  go  a  long  way  with  fellows  of  his 
stripe." 

A  conversation  lasting  half  an  hour  followed, 
and  Dan  promised  to  keep  close  watch  while  his 
father  went  away  to  the  docks. 

Arnold  Baxter  was  absent  the  best  part  of  the 
morning,  but  came  home  with  a  face  which 
showed  he  was  well  satisfied  with  what  he  had 
-  accomplished. 

"  I  fell  in  luck,"  he  explained.  "  Ran  across  a 
man  I  used  to  know  years  ago — Gus  Langless — a 
sly  old  dog,  up  for  anything  with  money  in' it. 
Langless  owns  a  small  schooner,  the  Peacock,  and 
he  says  I  can  have  her  for  a  month,  with  the  serv- 


42       ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

ices  of  himself  and  his  crew,  for  one  thousand  dol 
lars — and  nothing  said  about  the  job." 

"  Did  you  accept,  dad  ?  " 

"  Certainly — it  was  just  what  I  wanted. 
Langless  is  all  right,  and  I  told  him  I  would 
double  his  money  if  he  would  stick  by  me  to  the 
finish,  and  he  swore  that  he  would." 

"  And  what  is  the  next  move?  " 

"  We'll  take  Rover  on  board  to-night,  and  then 
set  sail  direct  for  Detroit  and  Lake  Huron. 
Langless  knows  an  island  in  Lake  Huron  which 
will  give  us  just  the  hiding  place  we  want." 

"And  after  that?" 

"  I'll  send  a  letter  to  Anderson  Rover  which 
will  sicken  him  to  the  heart  and  make  him  do  just 
as  I  demand.  He  thinks  the  world  of  his  oldest 
son." 

"  Good  for  you,  dad !  You've  got  a  long  head 
on  your  shoulders.  And  when  are  you  going  to 
let  Dick  Rover  know  he  is  in  our  power  ?  " 

"  Not  until  we  have  him  on  the  Peacock,  if  I 
can  prevent  it.  If  he  knew  here,  he  might  kick  up 
a  big  row." 

"  Pooh !  we  could  easily  shut  him  up !  "  sniffed  , 
Dan. 

Now  Dick  was  in  their  custody  he  was  impa 
tient  to  browbeat  the  youth  and  taunt  him  with 
his  helplessness.  But  Arnold  Baxter  would  not 


THE   SAILING  OF   THE  "PEACOCK."          43 

listen  to  it,  so  the  graceless  son  had  to  bide  his 
time. 

The  afternoon  was  an  anxious  one  for  both  of 
the  Baxters,  who  were  afraid  that  the  Rovears 
would  find  their  way  to  Dr.  Karley's  place  and 
thwart  their  carefully  arranged  plan.  But  no 
one  put  in  an  appearance,  and  by  nightfall  every 
thing  was  in  readiness  for  the  departure.  The 
doctor  had  loaned  his  private  turnout,  and  for  a 
"  consideration,"  otherwise  a  bribe,  had  dosed 
poor  Dick  into  semi-unconsciousness,  and  had 
promised  to  say  to  all  comers  that  the  young 
man  had  got  well  and  gone  off  in  the  company  of 
two  of  his  friends,  a  Mr.  Arnold  and  a  Mr. 
Daniels. 

When  it  came  to  transferring  Dick  to  the  car 
riage,  Arnold  Baxter  put  on  the  false  wig  and 
beard  which  he  had  been  carrying  in  his  valise, 
thus  transforming  his  appearance  greatly.  Dan 
kept  out  of  sight  on  the  seat  of  the  carriage,  so 
that  Dick  saw  only  his  back  in  the  gloom  of  the 
night.  The  son  drove  while  Arnold  Baxter  held 
Dick. 

It  was  no  easy  matter  to  find  the  location  of  the 
Peacock,  and  equally  difficult  to  get  Dick  ofl 
board  without  observation.  But  Captain  Lang- 
less  had  wisely  sent  his  men  to  a  neighbor 
ing  saloon,  so  the  coast  was  tolerably  clear.  Ones 


44       ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

Dick  was  in  the  cabin,  Arnold  Baxter  left  him  in 
Dan's  charge  and  hurried  back  to  the  sanitarium 
with  the  turnout.  In  the  meantime  Captain 
Langless  summoned  his  sailors  and  told  them 
they  would  sail  at  early  dawn — half-past  four. 

Locking  the  door  of  the  cabin  and  putting  the 
key  in  his  pocket,  Dan  Baxter  turned  up  the  light 
and  then  looked  at  Dick,  who  lay  half  propped  up 
in  a  chair. 

"  I  guess  I'll  wake  him  up,"  he  muttered,  and 
going  over  to  the  helpless  youth  he  pulled  his  nose 
vigorously. 

"  Oh !  "  groaned  Dick,  and  opened  his  eyes 
dreamily.  Then  he  caught  sight  of  Dan  and 
stared  as  if  he  had  seen  a  ghost. 

"  Dan  Baxter!  "  he  said  slowly.  "  Can  it  be 
possible?  " 

"  Yes,  it's  me,"  replied  the  bully,  with  small  re 
gard  for  grammar.  "  Do  you  know  that  you 
are  in  my  power,  Dick  Rover  ?  " 

"  I — I — thought  you  were  dead,"  and  Dick 
closed  his  eyes  again,  for  it  was  next  to  impossible 
for  him  to  arouse  himself. 

"  I'm  a  long  way  from  being  dead,"  laughed 
Dan  harshly.  "  I  reckon  you'll  die  before  I  do." 

Dick  pulled  himself  together  with  a  great  effort. 

"Then  the  landslide  didn't  catch  you?"  he 
questioned. 


THE   SAILING  OF  THE  "PEACOCK*  45 

"  Yes,  it  did,  but  it  didn't  kill  me,  nor  my  father 
neither.  We  are  both  here,  and  you  are  abso 
lutely  in  our  power." 

"  Is  this  the  steamer  that  took  me  on  board?  " 

"  No,  this  is  a  boat  that  is  under  my  father's  / 
command." 

"  I  don't  understand  it  at  all." 

"  Reckon  you  will  understand  before  we  are 
done  with  you.  You  thought  you  could  crow 
over  us,  but  the  crowing  will  be  on  the  other  side 
of  the  fence  now." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  me?  " 

"  You'll  find  out  soon  enough." 

"  Where  are  my  brothers?  " 

"  I  don't  know — and  I  don't  care." 

"  Well,  I  am  glad  they  are  not  in  your 
power,"  returned  Dick,  with  something  of  a  sigh 
of  relief. 

"  One  of  you  is  enough,"  growled  Dan. 

"  And  you  won't  tell  me  what  boat  this  is  ?  " 

"  It  is  one  under  the  command  of  my  father." 

'"  Are  we  sailing?  " 

"  Not  yet,  but  we  will  be  in  a  few  minutes." 

With  an  effort  Dick  arose  to  his  feet.     But  he- 
was  dizzy  from  the  effects  of  the  dose  admin 
istered  by  the  doctor,  and  immediately  sank  back 
again.     Baxter  gave  a  brutal  laugh. 

"  Now  you  see  how  it  is,"  he  observed.     "  You 


46        ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

are  absolutely  in  our  power.     How  do  you  like 
the  situation  ?  " 

"  How  should  I  like  it  ?  A  lamb  among  wolves 
would  be  as  safe,  to  my  way  of  thinking." 

"  I  don't  know  but  what  you  are  right.  We 
intend  to  make  a  big  thing  out  of  you,  Dick 
Rover." 

"How?" 

"  I  told  you  before  you'd  find  out  soon  enough." 

"  I  presume  you'll  try  to  make  my  father  ran 
som  me,  or  something  like  that." 

"  We'll  about  make  him  give  up  that  mining 
claim." 

"  You  were  going  to  make  him  give  that  up 
before." 

"  Well,  we  won't  trip  up  this  time.  Our  plans 
are  carefully  laid." 

"  You  were  always  good  at  bragging,  Dan 
Baxter." 

"  Don't  insult  me,  Dick  Rover." 

"  I  am  telling  the  plain  truth." 

With  a  sudden  darkening  of  his  face  Dan  Bax 
ter  strode  forward. 

1  "  Dick  Rover,  I  hate  you,  always  have  hated 
you,  and  always  will  hate  you.  Take  that  for 
your  impudence." 

He  struck  out  and  slapped  the  helpless  boy 
heavily  upon  the  cheek.  Then,  as  Dick  sank  back 


THE   SAILING  OF  THE   "  PEACOCK."          47 

in  the  chair,  he  turned  and  left  the  cabin,  closing 
and  locking  the  door  after  him. 

At  half-past  four  in  the  morning  the  Peacock 
got  under  way,  and  in  less  than  an  hour  was  far 
out  upon  the  broad  waters  of  Lake  Erie. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

HUNTING    FOR    DICK. 

"  DICK  must  be  drowned." 

It  was  Tom  who  spoke,  addressing  Sam  and 
Aleck  Pop. 

For  hours  they  had  searched  among  the  floating 
lumber  for  some  sign  of  the  missing  one,  and  the 
only  thing  that  had  been  found  was  Dick's  cap, 
caught  in  a  crack  of  one  of  the  timbers. 

"  It's  awful !  "  murmured  Sam.  His  face  was 
white  and  he  was  ready  to  cry,  for  Dick  was  very 
dear  to  him. 

"  Perhaps  dat  steamboat  dun  pick  him  up,"  sug 
gested  Pop.  He  wanted  to  say  something  com 
forting. 

"  I  pray  to  Heaven  she  did,"  murmured  Tom. 
"  I  suppose  the  best  thing  we  can  do  now  is  t© 
steer  for  Cleveland." 

"  Yes,  that's  the  only  hope  left,"  answered 
Sam.  "  If  he  was  floating  around  here  we  would 
surely  have  spotted  him  before  this  with  the 
glass." 

The  course  was  changed,  and  toward  nightfall 
48 


HUNTING  FOR  DICK.  49 

they  came  in  sight  of  Cleveland,  and  learned  where 
they  could  tie  up,  at  a  spot  close  to  where  the 
steamer  had  made  her  landing.  * 

Their  first  inquiries  were  at  this  point,  and  from 
a  longshoreman  they  quickly  learned  that  two  per 
sons  had  been  picked  up  by  the  steamer,  a  big 
man  and  a  young  fellow. 

"  It  must  be  Dick!  "  cried  Sam. 

"  Where  did  they  take  the  young  fellow  ?  " 
questioned  Tom. 

"  A  man  and  a  big  boy  came  from  the  steamer 
and  took  charge  of  him,"  answered  the  longshore 
man. 

"  Don't  you  know  where  they  went?  " 

"  No;  most  likely  to  the  hospital.  The  young 
fellow  was  in  pretty  bad  shape.  They  got  in  a 
coach." 

"  Did  the  other  man  who  was  saved  go  along?  " 

"  No ;  he's  all  right,  and  is  around  here  looking 
for  you  folks — so  he  told  me.  He — here  he 
comes  now." 

The  longshoreman  pointed  to  Luke  Peterson, 
who  had  just  appeared  at  the  upper  end  of  the 
dock.  Both  Sam  and  Tom  ran  to  meet  him. 

"  So  you  are  Dick  Rover's  brothers,"  said 
Peterson,  as  he  shook  hands.  "  Glad  to  know 
you.  Yes,  your  brother  is  all  right,  although 
mighty  tucked  out  by  the  exposure.  He  fell  in 


$0       ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

with  a  couple  o'  friends  on  the  steamer,  and  they 
took  him  up  to  the  Commercial  Hotel." 

As  Peterson  was  curious  to  know  how  Dick  was 
faring,  he  agreed  to  accompany  Sam  and  Tom  to 
the  hotel,  and  all  three  boarded  a  handy  street  car 
for  that  purpose. 

"  I  wish  to  see  my  brother,  Dick  Rover,"  said 
Tom  to  the  clerk  at  the  desk. 

"  Not  stopping  here,  sir,"  was  the  reply,  after 
the  clerk  had  consulted  the  register. 

"  I  mean  the  young  man  who  was  hauled  out  of 
the  lake  and  was  brought  here  feeling  rather  sick." 

The  clerk  shook  his  head.  "  No  such  person 
here." 

Sam  and  Tom  stared  in  astonishment,  and  then 
turned  to  the  lumberman. 

"  The  friends  who  were  with  him  said  they 
were  going  to  bring  him  here,"  said  Luke  Peter 
son.  "  And  I  promised  to  send  you  after  'em  as 
soon  as  I  spotted  ye." 

"  I  don't  understand "  began  Tom,  and 

then  turned  swiftly  to  Sam.  "  Can  this  be  some 
of  Arnold  Baxter's  work  ?  " 

"  It  may  be.  Mr.  Peterson,  how  did  the  man 
who  was  with  my  brother  look?  " 

As  well  as  he  could  Luke  Peterson  described 
Arnold  Baxter,  and  also  Dan.  Tom  gave  a  low 
whistle. 


HUNTING  FOR  DICK.  <$i 

"  I'll  wager  poor  Dick  has  fallen  into  the  hands 
of  the  enemy,"  he  cried. 

"  What  enemy?  "  questioned  the  lumberman. 

In  as  few  words  as  possible  Tom  and  Sam  ex- 
!  plained  the  situation,  concluding  by  saying  they 
had  discovered  Arnold  Baxter  on  the  steamer. 
The  story  made  Luke  Peterson  look  very  grave, 

"  Reckon  we  let  your  brother  git  into  the  wrong 
hands,"  he  observed. 

"  The  question  is,  where  did  they  take  Dick  ?  " 

"That's  so,  where?" 

"  Evidently  they  didn't  come  here  at  all." 

"  Perhaps,  if  I  could  find  that  coach  driver,  I 
might  learn  somethin'." 

"  That's  so — let  us  find  him  by  all  means." 

But  to  find  the  driver  was  not  easy,  and  by  mid 
night  the  search  was  abandoned.  Much  dejected, 
Sam  and  Tom  returned  to  the  Swallow,  and  Luke 
Peterson  accompanied  them.  Peterson  was  also 
downhearted,  having  heard  nothing  of  the  tug 
which  had  been  towing  the  lumber  raft  or  of  his 
friend  Bragin. 

"  I'll  notify  the  police  in  the  morning,"  said 
Tom,  and  did  so.  He  also  sent  a  telegram  to  his 
•father,  telling  of  what  had  happened.  The  police 
took  up  the  case  readily,  but  brought  nothing  new 
(to  light. 

"  I'm  going  to  interview  every  cabby  in  town," 


52        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

said  Tom,  and  proceeded  to  do  so,  accompanied 
by  Luke  Peterson  and  Sam. 

At  five  o'clock  in  the  afternoon  they  found  the 
coach  driver  who  had  taken  Dick  from  the  dock. 

"  The  man  said  they  had  no  rooms  vacant  at 
the  Commercial  Hotel,"  said  the  coach  driver. 
"  So  he  had  me  drive  the  party  to  Dr.  Karley's 
Private  Sanitarium." 

"Where  is  that?" 

"  On  the  outskirts,  about  a  mile  and  a  half 
from  here." 

"  Can  you  take  us  there  now  ?  " 

"  Sorry,  but  I've  got  a  job  in  quarter  of  an 
hour." 

"  We'll  pay  you  double  fare,"  put  in  Sam. 
"  Get  somebody  else  to  take  that  other  job." 

To  this  the  coach  driver  readily  agreed,  but  to 
make  the  arrangement  took  time,  and  it  was  six 
o'clock  before  they  were  on  the  way  to  Dr.  Kar 
ley's  place. 

When  they  reached  the  sanitarium  they  found 
the  building  dark,  with  the  shutters  on  the  ground 
floor  tightly  closed.  Dr.  Karley  answered  Tom's 
summons  in  person. 

"  Yes,  the  parties  were  here,"  he  said  smoothly. 
"  But  I  could  not  accommodate  them,  and  so  they 
went  elsewhere." 

"  Elsewhere  ?  "  echoed  Tom. 


HUNTING  FOR  DICK.  53 

"  Exactly,  sir." 

"  But  our  coach  driver  says  they  got  off  here; 
He  was  the  one  who  brought  them." 

At  this  announcement  the  face  of  the  physician 
changed  color  for  an  instant.  But  he  quickly  re 
covered  himself. 

"  Well — er — they  did  get  off  here,  as  the  sick 
young  man  wished  to  rest.  When  I  said  I 
couldn't  accommodate  them  the  older  man  went 
off  and  got  another  coach,  and  all  three  went  off 
in  that." 

"To  where?" 

"  I  do  not  know,  although  I  recommended  the 
general  hospital  to  them." 

"  They  did  not  go  to  any  of  the  city  institu 
tions." 

"  Then  perhaps  they  went  to  a  hotel." 

"  We  have  inquired  at  every  hotel  in  town." 

The  little  old  doctor  shrugged  his  bony  shoul 
ders.  "  I  am  sorry,  but  I  can  give  you  no  further 
information." 

"  How  was  the  sick  young  man  when  he  was 
Jhere?" 

J  "  He  didn't  appear  to  be  very  sick.  Had  he 
been  bad  I  would  have  certainly  done  more  for 
him." 

"  And  you  haven't  the  least  idea  where  they 
went  to?" 


54       ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  I  have  not." 

"  It's  mighty  strange,"  was  Tom's  blunt  cont 
inent.  "  Do  you  know  who  the  sick  young  man 
was?" 

"  I  haven't  the  slightest  idea.  I  never  ask 
questions  unless  they  are  necessary." 

"  He  was  my  brother,  and  those  fellows  who 
had  him  in  charge  are  his  enemies  and  up  to  no 
good." 

"  Indeed ! "  And  Dr.  Karley  elevated  his 
shaggy  eyebrows  in  well-assumed  surprise. 

"  I  am  bound  to  find  my  brother,  and  if  you 
know  anything  more  you  had  better  tell  me,"  went 
on  Tom  bluntly. 

The  random  shaft  struck  home,  and  the  old  doc 
tor  started  back  in  dismay. 

"  Why — er — surely  you  do  not — er — suspect 
me  of — ahem — of  anything  wrong?  "  he  stam 
mered. 

"  I  want  to  get  at  the  truth.  Which  way  did 
they  go  when  they  drove  off  ?  " 

"  Directly  for  town." 

"  And  when  was  this  ?  " 

"  Inside  of  half  an  hour  after  they  got  here." 

"  Did  they  give  any  names?  " 

"  No.  It  was  not  necessary,  since  I  could  not 
take  them  in." 

"  Your  place  doesn't  seem  to  be  very  crowded." 


HUNTING  FOR  DICK.  55 

At  this  the  physician  glared  angrily  at  Tom. 

"  Boy,  it  seems  to  me  that  you  are  growing  im 
pudent!"  he  cried.  "I  am  not  accustomed  to 
being  addressed  in  this  fashion.  I  think  I  had 
better  bid  you  good-night." 

The  two  were  standing  in  the  hallway,  and  now 
the  doctor  opened  the  door  to  signify  that  the 
interview  was  over. 

"  All  right,  I'll  go,"  muttered  Tom.  "  But  I 
am  going  to  get  to  the  bottom  of  this  affair,  don't 
you  forget  that."  And  then  he  hurried  out  and 
rejoined  Sam  and  Peterson  at  the  coach. 

"  He  may  be  telling  the  truth,"  said  the  coach 
driver,  on  hearing  what  Tom  had  to  say.  "  But, 
all  the  same,  I  was  driving  around  these  streets 
for  a  good  hour  after  I  left  here,  and  I  saw  no 
other  rig  with  those  men  and  your  brother  in  it." 

"  I  am  inclined  to  think  the  doctor  is  humbug 
ging  us,"  answered  Tom.  "  But  the  thing  is  to 
prove  it." 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  watch  the  place  for 
a  while,"  suggested  the  lumberman. 

"  Do  you  know  anything  of  this  doctor — what 
sort  of  a  reputation  he  has  ?  "  asked  Sam  erf  the 
driver. 

"  His  reputation  is  none  of  the  best,"  was  the 
answer.  "  He  has  been  in  court  twice  because  of 
the  people  he  treats." 


56        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Then  he  wouldn't  be  above  helping  Arnold 
Baxter — if  he  was  paid  for  it,"  said  Tom. 

All  entered  the  coach  and  drove  off  around  the 
nearest  corner.  , 

Then  Tom  and  Sam  got  out  and  walked  away, 
intending  to  come  up  at  the  rear  of  the  sanitarium. 

Presently  a  carriage  appeared  in  view,  driven 
by  a  man  who,  in  the  gloom,  appeared  strangely 
familiar,  despite  his  false  beard. 

"  Arnold  Baxter !  "  cried  Sam.  "  Hi,  there, 
whoa!" 

He  ran  toward  the  carriage  and  caught  the 
horse  by  the  bridle.  Tom  followed,  and  the  man, 
who  was  just  returning  from  taking  Dick  to  the 
Peacock,  was  brought  to  bay. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE    ESCAPE    OF    ARNOLD    BAXTER. 

"  ARNOLD  BAXTER,,  where  is  my  brother 
Dick?"  demanded  Tom,  as  he  reached  the  car 
riage  and  caught  the  evildoer  by  the  arm. 

To  say  that  Arnold  Baxter  was  astonished 
would  be  to  put  it  altogether  too  mildly.  He  was 
completely  dumfounded. 

"  You !  "  he  said  slowly,  hardly  knowing  how 
to  speak  after  he  had  caught  his  breath. 

"  Yes,  you  rascal.     Where  is  Dick." 

"Dick?" 

"  Yes,  Dick." 

"  I  know  nothing  of  your  brother.  This  is  a — 
a  complete  surprise.  I  didn't  know  you  were  in 
Cleveland." 

"  Perhaps  not.  But  let  me  tell  you  that  we 
know  your  game,  and  we  are  going  to  hand  you 
over  to  the  law." 

"  Never !  "  Arnold  Baxter  fairly  hissed  out 
the  words.  "  Let  go  of  that  horse  " — the  latter 
words  to  Sam. 

57 


$8       ROVER  SOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Don't  you  do  it ! "  cried  Tom,  and  then  he 
caught  Arnold  Baxter  by  the  leg.  "  Come  out 
of  the  carriage." 

A  fierce  struggle  ensued,  and,  afraid  that  Tom 
would  get  the  worst  of  it,  Sam  set  up  a  loud  shout 
for  help. 

"You  whelp!  I'll  fix  you!"  ejaculated  Ar 
nold  Baxter,  and  catching  up  the  whip,  he  struck 
at  Tom  with  the  butt  end.  He  caught  the  youth 
directly  over  the  head,  and  Tom  went  down  as  if 
shot. 

"Let  Tom  alone,"  screamed  Sam.  "Help! 
help!" 

"  Who  is  it?  "  came  from  a  distance,  and  Luke 
Peterson  hove  into  sight.  "  Hullo !  the  man  we 
are  after." 

He  made  a  dive  for  Arnold  Baxter,  but  the  lat 
ter  was  too  quick  for  him,  and  leaped  from  the 
opposite  side  of  the  carriage  to  the  ground.  The 
horse  now  became  frightened  and  set  off  on  a 
run,  directly  for  a  lane  behind  Dr.  Karley's  insti 
tution. 

"Tom,  are  you  badly  hurt?"  questioned  Sam,, 
but,  even  as  he  spoke,  Tom  tried  to  stagger  to  his 
feet.     Seeing  this,  Sam  began  a  chase  after  Bax 
ter,  with  the  lumberman  beside  him. 

Arnold  Baxter  was  fleet  of  foot,  and  realizing 
what  capture  meant — a  return  to  prison  with  his 


I 

THE  ESCAPE   OF  ARNOLD  BAXTER.  59 

sentence  to  be  served  once  more  from  the  begin 
ning — he  ran  as  never  before,  straight  for  the 
dock  where  the  Peacock  lay. 

His  first  thought  was  to  board  the  schooner  and 
set  sail  out  into  the  lake,  but  a  second  thought 
convinced  him  that  this  would  be  unwise. 

"  They  will  follow  me  on  a  tug  or  steamer,  and 
the  jig  will  be  up  in  no  time,"  he  said  to  himself. 
"  I  must  find  some  hiding  place." 

Many  of  the  docks  were  inclosed  by  high 
board  fences,  and  coming  to  one  of  these,  he  leaped 
over  and  made  his  way  to  a  huge  pile  of  mer 
chandise.  Here  he  crouched  down  and  kept  as 
quiet  as  a  mouse. 

Sam  and  Peterson,  followed  by  Tom,  traced 
him  to  the  fence,  but  once  on  the  opposite  side, 
lost  all  track  of  the  rascal. 

"  He's  gone,"  said  Tom,  after  running  hither 
and  thither  on  the  dock.  "  He  has  given  us  the 
slip  nicely." 

"  He  can't  be  far  off,"  returned  Sam. 

"  I  believe  he  was  bound  for  that  doctor's  sani 
tarium  when  we  spotted  him." 

"  So  do  I,  and  I  wouldn't  wonder  if  poor  Dick 
is  at  the  place,  a  prisoner." 

The  matter  was  talked  over  for  several  minutes, 
and  the  two  brothers  decided  to  return  to  Dr.  Kar- 
ley's  sanitarium.  The  lumberman  said  he  would 


60        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

remain. around  the  docks  on  the  lookout  for  Ar 
nold  Baxter. 

"  If  you  catch  him  I'll  give  you  fifty  dollars," 
said  Tom.  "  My  father,  I  know,  will  pay  the 
amount  willingly." 

"  I'll  do  my  best,"  answered  Peterson.  He 
was  by  no  means  rich  and  glad  enough  of  a 
chance  to  make  such  a  sum.  Besides  this,  the 
ways  of  the  Rover  boys  appeared  to  please  him. 

When  Sam  and  Tom  returned  to  the  doctor's 
place  they  found  the  coach  driver  still  at  hand,  he 
having  caught  Arnold  Baxter's  horse  at  the  en 
trance  to  the  lane. 

"  Take  him  to  the  stable  and  ask  the  doctor  if 
the  rig  is  his,"  said  Tom,  and  the  coach  driver 
agreed.  He  was  gone  the  best  part  of  quarter  of 
an  hour. 

"  The  doctor  says  it  is  his  horse  and  carriage, 
but  he  also  says  he  didn't  know  the  turnout  was 
out,"  he  announced,  with  a  grin.  "  He's  an  oily 
one,  he  is !  " 

"  Right  you  are,  but  he  can't  stuff  us  with  his 
fairy  tales,"  replied  Tom.  "  Do  you  suppose 
there  is  a  policeman  handy?  " 

"  There  is  probably  one  somewhere  around." 

"  I  wish  you  would  hunt  him  up  and  bring  him 
here." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do?  " 


THE  ESCAPE   OF  ARNOLD  BAXTER.          6l 

"  Dare  the  lion  in  his  den;  eh,  Sam?  " 

"  Right,  Tom !  That  doctor  must  know  a  good 
deal  more  than  he  is  wiling  to  tell." 

The  coach  driver  went  off,  and  walking  around 
to  the  front  of  the  sanitarium  the  boys  rang  the 
bell  sharply. 

There  was  no  answer  to  the  summons,  and  then 
Tom  gave  the  bell  knob  a  jerk  which  nearly  broke 
it  off.  A  second-story  window  was  thrown  open 
with  a  bang. 

"  I  want  you  boys  to  go  away !  "  came  in  angry 
tones. 

"  And  I  want  you  to  come  down  and  let  us  in," 
retorted  Tom. 

"  I  won't  let  you  in.  I've  told  you  all  I  know, 
and  that  is  the  end  of  it." 

"  It's  not  the  end  of  it,  Dr.  Karley.  We  want 
to  know  how  you  came  to  let  Arnold  Baxter  have 
your  horse  and  carriage." 

"  I  didn't  know  the  horse  and  carriage  were 
out  of  the  stable.  The  man  must  have  taken 
them  on  the  sly." 

"  It's  not  likely.  Open  the  door  and  let  us  in — 
it  will  be  best  for  you." 

"  Ha,  you  threaten  me !  " 

"  I've  done  more  than  that — I've  sent  for  a 
policeman." 

At  this  announcement  the  old  doctor  grated  his 


Ca        ROVER   BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

teeth  savagely.  He  was  much  disturbed  and 
knew  not  how  to  proceed. 

"  I  was  a  fool  to  go  into  this  thing,"  he  mut 
tered.  "  It  may  lead  to  all  sorts  of  trouble.  I 
must  get  myself  clear  somehow." 

"  Are  you  going  to  let  us  in  ?  "  went  on  Tom. 

"  Yes,  I  will  let  you  in.  But  allow  me  to  state 
that  you  are  acting  very  foolishly,"  answered  the 
doctor,  and  dropped  the  window.  A  few  minutes 
later  he  appeared  at  the  door,  which  he  opened 
very  gingerly. 

"  You  can  come  into  the  parlor,"  he  said  stiffly. 

"  We'll  remain  right  here,"  answered  Tom, 
afraid  of  some  sort  of  a  trap. 

"  Well,  what  do  you  want?  " 

"  I  want  to  know  where  that  young  man,  my 
brother,  is." 

"  The  man  who  was  with  him  said  he  was  his 
nephew." 

"  It  was  a  falsehood.  Now  where  is  my 
brother?" 

"  Honestly,  I  have  not  the  slightest  idea." 

"  What  was  that  man  doing  with  your  car 
riage?  " 

"  I  repeat,  young  man,  I  did  not  know  he  had 
the  carriage."  The  old  doctor  drew  a  long 
breath,  wondering  how  soon  an  officer  of  the  law 
would  appear.  "  Of  course  if  anything  is  wrong 


THE  ESCAPE   OF  ARNOLD  £  AX  TEH.          63 

I  am  perfectly  willing  to  do  all  I  can  to  set  it  right. 
My  institution  is  abqve  reproach,  and  I  wish  to 
keep  it  so." 

"  Are  you  willing  to  let  me  look  through  your  J 
place?" 

"  So  you  think  your  brother  is  here?  " 

"  I  do." 

"  You  are  very  forward.  Still,  to  convince  you 
that  you  are  mistaken,  you  are  at  liberty  to  go 
through  my  place  from  top  to  bottom.  But  you 
must  not  disturb  any  of  the  patients." 

"  All  right;  let  us  go  through.  Sam,  you  re 
main  here,  on  the  watch  for  that  policeman." 

With  bad  grace  Dr.  Karley  led  the  way  and 
took  Tom  through  the  sanitarium  from  top  to 
bottom,  even  allowing  him  to  peep  into  the  rooms 
occupied  by  the  "  boarders,"  as  the  medical  man 
called  them.  Of  course  there  was  no  trace  of 
Dick. 

"  Now  I  trust  you  are  satisfied,"  said  the  doc 
tor,  when  they  were  again  at  the  front  door. 

"  I  am  not  satisfied  about  that  carriage  affair," 
returned  Tom,  as  bluntly  as  ever. 

"  Well,  I  have  told  you  the  truth." 

At  this  moment  the  coach  driver  came  in  sight, 
accompanied  by  a  policeman. 

"What's  the  trouble?"  demanded  the  officer 
of  the  law. 


64       RO  VER  BO  YS  ON   THE   GREA  T  LAKES. 

Tom  and  Sam  told  their  tale,  and  then  the  doc 
tor  had  his  say,  and  the  driver  related  what  he 
knew. 

"  Certainly  a  queer  mix-up,"  remarked  the 
policeman.  He  turned  to  the  Rovers.  "  What 
do  you  want  to  do  ?  " 

"  I  want  to  find  my  brother,  who  has  disap 
peared,"  said  Tom. 

"  You  say  you  have  searched  through  here?  " 

"  I  have — after  a  fashion." 

"  You  can  go  through,  if  you  wish,"  said  the 
doctor  to  the  officer. 

"  I  reckon  my  brother  is  gone,"  went  on  Tom. 
*M3ut  this  doctor  helped  the  rascals  who  spirited 
him  away." 

"  I  did  absolutely  nothing,"  cried  Dr.  Karley. 
"  I  am  willing  to  aid  you  all  I  can.  But  I  am 
innocent.  I  received  no  pay  for  giving  the  unfor 
tunate  young  man  some  medicine  to  strengthen 
him,  and  my  horse  and  carriage  were  taken  with 
out  my  knowledge." 

A  long  and  bitter  war  of  words  followed,  but 
in  the  end  the  doctor  was  left  to  himself. 

"  We'll  make  no  charge  against  him  yet,"  said 
Tom  to  the  policeman.  "  But  I  wish  you  would 
keep  an  eye  on  the  institution — in  case  that  rascal 
puts  in  an  appearance  again." 

"  I  will,"  returned  the  officer. 


THE  ESCAPE   OF  ARNOLD  BAXTER.  65 

A  little  while  later  Sam  and  Tom  set  out  to 
rejoin  Luke  Peterson.  When  they  gained  the 
dock  they  saw  nobody. 

"  He  ought  to  be  somewhere  about,"  said  the 
younger  Rover. 

They  tramped  about  from  place  to  place  for 
fully  an.  hour. 

Presently  they  came  close  to  where  the  Swallow 
lay.  Had  they  but  known  it,  the  Peacock,  with 
poor  Dick  on  board,  lay  but  three  blocks  further 
away. 

"  My  gracious !  "  cried  Sam  suddenly. 

He  had  seen  a  form  stretched  motionless 
across  some  lumber  lying  near. 

The  form  was  that  of  Luke  Peterson,  and  his 
cheek  and  temple  were  covered  with  blood. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

ON    THE    LAKE    AGAIN. 

"  PETERSON  !  "  cried  Tom,  in  dismay. 

"Can  he  be  dead?"  came  from  Sam.  Then 
he  bent  over  the  lumberman.  "  No,  he  still  lives. 
But  he  has  been  treated  most  shamefully." 

"  This  must  be  some  more  of  Arnold  Baxter's 
work." 

"  Or  else  the  work  of  some  footpad." 

Both  boys  knelt  over  the  prostrate  form  of  the 
lumberman  and  did  what  they  could  to  restore  him 
to  his  senses. 

In  this  they  were  partly  successful. 

"  Don't  hit  me  again !  Please  don't  hit  me !  " 
the  man  moaned,  over  and  over  again. 

"  You're  safe,"  said  Tom.  But  Peterson  paid 
no  attention,  and  only  begged  them  not  to  hit  him. 

"  Let  us  carry  him  to  the  Szvallow,"  suggested 
Sam,  and  between  them  they  _  did  so. 

"  Wot's  dis?"  asked  Aleck  Pop.  in  astonish 
ment. 

"  He  is  our  friend,  and  has  been  struck  down," 

66 


ON  THE  LAKE  AGAIN.  67 

inswered  Tom.  "  Get  some  water  in  a  basin,  and 
£  little  liquor." 

When  the  colored  man  returned  with  the 
articles  mentioned  both  boys  washed  the  wounded 
man's  head  and  bound  it  up  with  a  towel.  Then 
Tom  administered  a  few  spoonfuls  of  liquor. 
This  seemed  to  give  Peterson  some  strength,  but 
he  did  not  fully  recover  for  some  hours. 

"  Follow  the  Peacock,"  were  his  first  rational 
words.  "  Follow  the  schooner  Peacock." 

"The  Peacock?"  repeated  Tom.  "Why 
should  we  follow  her  ?  " 

"  Your  brother  is  on  board."  And  having 
spoken  thus,  the  lumberman  sank  again  into  semi- 
unconsciousness. 

"  Can  he  be  telling  the  truth,  or  is  he  out  of  his 
head  ?  "  questioned  Sam. 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know,  Sam." 

"  Perhaps  we  had  better  look  around  for  the 
schooner  he  mentioned." 

"  All  right,  I'll  do  so.  You  stay  here  with 
Aleck." 

"  Hadn't  I  better  go  with  you?  " 

"  No,  I'll  keep  my  eyes  open,"  concluded  Tom, 
and  hurried  away. 

It  was  now  dawn,  and  the  early  workers  were 
just  getting  to  their  employment.  Soon  Tom 
met  a  couple  of  watchmen  and  hailed  them. 


68        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

11 1  am  looking  for  the  schooner  Peacock,"  said 
he.  "  Do  you  know  anything  of  the  craft?  " 

"  Sure,  an'  that's  Gus  Langless'  boat,"  said  one 
of  the  watchmen.  "  She's  lying  at  the  end  of 
Bassoon's  wharf,  over  yonder." 

"  Thank  you/'  and  Tom  started  away. 

The  wharf  mentioned  was  a  long  one,  and  it 
took  some  time  for  the  youth  to  reach  the  outer 
end.  As  he  ran  he  saw  a  boat  in  the  distance, 
moving  away  with  all  sails  set.  Of  course  he 
could  not  make  out  her  name,  but  he  saw  that  she 
was  schooner-rigged,  and  felt  certain  she  must  be 
the  craft  for  which  he  was  searching. 

At  the  end  of  the  pier  he  met  a  dock  hand,  who 
had  been  resting  in  a  nearby  shed. 

"  Is  that  boat  the  Peacock?  "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Do  you  know  anything  of  the  people  on 
board?" 

"  I  do  not." 

"  Has  she  a  cargo  ?  " 

"  I  believe  not." 

"  You  didn't  see  anybody  going  on  her?  " 

"  Hold  up!  Yes,  I  did;  a  young  fellow  and  a 
man." 

"  Was  the  young  man  in  a  feeble  state?  " 

"  He  seemed  to  be." 

"  Thank  you." 


ON   THE  LAKE  AGAIN.  69 

Tom  turned  away  with  something  of  a  groan. 
"  Dick  must  be  on  board  of  that  craft,  along  with 
the  Baxters.  Oh,  what  luck  we  are  having! 
Now  what  ought  I  to  do  next  ?  " 

His  wisest  move  would  have  been  to  have  in 
formed  the  authorities,  but  Tom  was  too  much 
upset  mentally  to  think  of  that.  With  all  speed 
he  returned  to  the  Swallow. 

"  The  Peacock  has  sailed !  "  he  cried.  "  We 
must  follow  her!  " 

"  You  are  certain  ?  "  queried  Sam. 

"  Yes,  I  saw  her  in  the  distance.  Come,  let 
us  get  after  her  before  it  is  too  late." 

As  Luke  Peterson  was  now  doing  fairly  well, 
all  of  the  others  ran  on  deck,  and  soon  the  Swal 
low  was  in  pursuit  of  the  schooner.  At  first  but 
little  could  be  seen  of  the  Peacock,  but  when  the 
sun  came  up  they  saw  her  plainly,  heading  toward 
the  northwest. 

"  We  must  keep  her  in  sight,"  said  Tom. 

"  Yes,  but  supposing  the  Baxters  are  on  board, 
how  can  we  capture  them?"  came  from  Sam. 
"  We  are  but  three,  or  four  at  the  most,  counting 
Peterson,  while  that  craft  must  carry  a  crew  of 
five  or  six." 

"  We  can  hail  some  other  boat  to  help  us.  The 
main  thing  is  not  to  lose  track  of  the  rascals." 

The  breeze  was  all  that  could  be  desired,  and 


70        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

once  the  shore  was  left  behind  they  kept  the 
Peacock  in  sight  with  ease.  But,  try  their  best, 
they  gained  but  little  on  the  larger  boat. 

As  there  was  now  nothing  to  do  but  to  let  the 
yacht  do  her  best,  Tom  left  Sam  at  the  wheel  and 
turned  his  attention  to  Peterson.  The  lumber 
man  was  now  able  to  sit  up,  although  very  weak. 

"  I  discovered  Arnold  Baxter  and  tracked  him 
to  the  schooner's  dock,"  he  said.  "  His  son  came 
to  the  dock,  and  from  what  they  said  I  am  sure 
your  brother  is  on  the  craft.  Then  they  discov 
ered  me,  and  the  father  struck  me  down  with  the 
butt  of  a  pistol  he  carried.  After  that  all  was  a 
tilank  until  I  found  myself  here." 

"  You  can  be  thankful  you  weren't  killed." 

"  I  suppose  so.  I  shall  not  rest  until  that  vil- 
tain  is  brought  to  justice.  But  what  are  ye  up  to 
now,  lad?" 

"  We  are  in  pursuit  of  the  Peacock" 

"  On  the  lake  or  up  the  river?  " 

"  On  the  lake." 

"  Can  you  keep  her  in  sight?  " 

"  So  far  we  seem  to  be  holding  our  own." 

"  Good !  I'd  go  on  deck  and  help  ye,  but  I  feel 
kind  o'  strange-like  in  the  legs." 

"  Better  keep  quiet  for  the  present.  We  may 
need  you  later  on." 

"  Got  any  firearms  on  board?  " 


ON   THE  LAKE  AGAIN.  71 

"  Yes,  a  gun  and  two  pistols." 

"  Ye  may  want  'em  afore  ye  git  through  with 
that  crowd.  They  are  bad  ones." 

"  We  know  them  thoroughly,  Mr.  Peterson. 
We  have  been  acquainted  with  them  for  years." 
And  then  Tom  told  of  how  Dan  Baxter  had  been 
the  bully  at  Putnam  Hall,  and  how  he  had  run 
away  to  join  his  rascally  father,  and  of  how 
Arnold  Baxter  had  been  Mr.  Rover's  enemy  since 
the  days  of  early  mining  in  the  West. 

"  O'  course  they  are  carrying  off  your  brother 
fer  a  purpose,"  said  the  lumberman.  "  Like  as 
not  they'll  try  to  hit  your  father  through  him." 

"  I  presume  that  is  the  game." 

The  morning  wore  away  slowly,  but  as  the  sun 
mounted  higher  the  breeze  gradually  died  down. 

The  Peacock  was  the  first  to  feel  the  going 
down  of  the  wind,  and  slowly,  but  surely,  the 
Swallow  crept  closer  to  the  schooner. 

But  at  last  both  vessels  came  to  a  standstill, 
about  quarter  of  a  mile  apart. 

"Now  what's  to  do?"  questioned  Sam  dis 
mally. 

"  I  reckon  we  can  whistle  for  a  breeze,"  re 
turned  his  brother. 

"  Whistling  won't  do  us  any  good.  I've  been 
wondering  if  we  could  not  do  some  rowing  in  the 
small  boat." 


72        ROVER  BOYS  ON    THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Hurrah !  just  the  thing !  " 

There  was  a  small  rowboat  stored  away  on 
board  the  Swallow,  and  this  was  now  brought 
forth,  along  with  two  pairs  of  oars. 

"  Gwine  ter  row  ober,  eh?"  observed  Aleck 
Pop.  "  Racken  you  dun  bettah  been  careful  wot 
youse  do." 

"  We  shall  go  armed,"  answered  Tom. 

The  boys  soon  had  the  rowboat  floating  on  the 
lake,  and  they  leaped  in,  each  with  a  pair  of  oars, 
and  with  a  pistol  stowed  away  in  his  pocket. 

From  the  start  those  on  board  of  the  Peacock 
had  been  afraid  that  the  yacht  was  following 
them,  and  now  they  were  certain  of  it. 

"  Two  boys  putting  off  in  a  rowboat,"  an 
nounced  Captain  Langless. 

"  They  are  Tom  and  Sam  Rover,"  answered 
Arnold  Baxter,  after  a  brief  survey  through  a 
marine  glass. 

"  How  did  they  get  to  know  enough  to  follow 
this  craft?" 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know.  But  those  Rover 
boys  are  slick,  and  always  were." 

"  What  will  you  do  when  they  come  up  ?  " 

"  Warn  them  off." 

"  I've  got  an  idea,  dad,"  came  from  Dan. 

"Well?" 

"  Why  not  get  out  of  sight  and  let  Captain 


ON   THE  LAKE  AGAIN'.  73 

Langless  invite  them  on  board,  to  look  for  Dick. 
Then  we  can  bag  them  and  put  them  with  Dick." 

"By  Jove,  that  is  a  scheme!"  exclaimed  the 
rascally  parent.  "  Langless,  will  you  do  it?  Of 
course,  we'll  have  to  get  out  of  sight  until  the 
proper  moment  arrives." 

"  But  if  you  bag  'em,  what  of  those  left  on  the 
'Swallow?  "  questioned  the  captain. 

"  There  is  only  one  man,  a  negro.  He  doesn't 
amount  to  anything." 

"  There  may  be  more — one  or  two  officers  of 
the  law." 

Arnold  Baxter  used  his  glass  again.  "  I  see 
nobody  but  the  darky.  If  there  were  officers  at 
hand,  I  am  sure  they  would  have  come  along  in 
that  rowboat." 

"  I  guess  you  are  right  about  that." 

"If  we  capture  the  boys  the  darky  won't  dare 
to  follow  us  alone,  and  it  may  be  that  we  can  cap 
ture  him,  too,"  went  on  Arnold  Baxter. 

By  this  time  the  rowboat  was  drawing  closer, 
and  Arnold  Baxter  and  Dan  stepped  out  of  sight 
behind  the  forecastle  of  the  schooner. 

A  few  additional  words  passed  between  Captain 
Langless  and  the  Baxters,  and  then  the  owner  of 
the  Peacock  awaited  the  coming  of  our  friends, 
who  were  now  almost  alongside,  never  suspecting 
the  trap  which  was  set  for  them. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

CAUGHT    IN    A    TRAP. 

"  Do  you  see  anything  of  the  Baxters?  "  asked 
Sam,  when  the  rowboat  was  within  a  hundred  feet 
of  the  schooner. 

"  I  thought  I  did  before,  but  I  don't  see  them 
now,"  answered  Tom. 

"  Rowboat,  ahoy !  "  shouted  Captain  Langless. 
"What  brings  you?" 

"  I  reckon  you  know  well  enough,"  Tom 
shouted  back.  "  We  are  after  Dick  Rover." 

"Dick  Rover?     Who  is  he?" 

"  Your  prisoner." 

"  Our  prisoner?  "  The  owner  of  the  Peacock 
put  on  a  look  of  surprise.  "  Really,  you  are  talk 
ing  in  riddles." 

"  I  don't  think  so.  Where  are  Arnold  Baxter 
and  his  son  Dan  ?  " 

"  Don't  know  anybody  by  that  name."  t 

"  They  went  on  board  of  your  boat,"  put  in 
Sam. 

"  You  must  be  mistaken."  Captain  Langless 
turned  to  his  mate.  "  Find  any  stowaways  on 
board?" 

7* 


CAUGHT  IN  A    TRAP.  75 

"  Nary  a  one,"  was  the  mate's  answer.  "  And 
just  came  up  from  the  hold,  too." 

This  talk  perplexed  Tom  and  Sam  not  a  little. 

Was  it  possible  Luke  Peterson  had  made  some 
mistake  ? 

"  We  have  it  on  pretty  gxxxl  authority  that  the 
Baxters  are  on  board  of  your  boat,  and  that  Dick 
Rover  is  aboard,  too,"  said  Sam. 

"  It's  all  a  riddle  to  me,"  answered  Captain 
Langless.  "  We  are  not  in  the  business  of  carry 
ing  prisoners.  We  are  bound  for  Sandusky  for 
a  cargo  of  flour." 

This  talk  completely  nonplused  the  boys,  and 
they  held  a  whispered  consultation. 

"  I  don't  believe  him,"  said  Sam. 

"  No  more  do  I.  But  what  shall  we  do  about 
it?" 

"  I'm  sure  I  don't  know." 

"  You  can  come  on  board  and  look  around,  if 
you  wish,"  called  out  the  owner  of  the  schooner. 
"  I  want  you  to  satisfy  yourself  that  you  are  mis 
taken." 

"  Shall  we  go  ?  "  whispered  Tom.  "  It  may  be 
a  trap?" 

"  He  seems  honest  enough." 

"  Supposing  I  go  and  you  stay  in  the  rowboat? 
Then,  if  anything  happens,  you  can  call  on  Aleck 
and  Peterson  for  help." 


?6        ROVER  BOYS  ON    THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

So  it  was  arranged,  and  in  a  minute  more  Tom 
was  climbing  up  the  ladder  which  had  been  thrown 
over  the  Peacock's  side. 

"Is  the  other  young  fellow  coming?"  asked 
the  captain,  who  did  not  fancy  this  move. 

"No." 

The  captain  scowled,  but  said  no  more. 

Once  on  deck  Tom  looked  around  him  curi 
ously,  and  then  moved  toward  the  companion  way 
leading  to  the  cabin.  He  felt  instinctively  that 
he  was  in  a  dangerous  position.  As  he  crossed 
the  deck  several  ill-appearing  sailors  gazed  at  him 
curiously,  but  said  nothing — being  under  strict 
orders  from  the  captain  to  remain  silent  in  the 
presence  of  the  stranger. 

The  cabin  of  the  Peacock  was  a  small  affair, 
considering  the  general  size  of  the  schooner,  and 
contained  but  little  in  the  shape  of  furniture. 

Dick  had  been  removed  long  before,  so  the 
apartment  was  empty  of  human  occupants  when 
Tom  entered. 

"  Nobody  here,"  he  murmured,  as  he  gazed 
around.  "  What  foolishness  to  come,  anyway ! 
The  Baxters  could  easily  hide  on  me,  if  they 
wanted  to." 

He  was  about  to  leave  the  cabin  when  a  form 
darkened  the  companion  way,  and  Arnold  Baxter 
appeared. 


CAUGHT  IN  A    TRAP.  77 

"  Silence !  "  commanded  the  man,  and  pointed 
a  pistol  at  Tom's  head. 

The  sight  of  the  rascal  startled  the  youth  and 
the  look  on  Baxter's  face  caused  him  to  shiver. 

"  So  you  are  here,  after  all,"  he  managed  to 
say. 

"  Silence !  "  repeated  Arnold  Baxter,  "  unless 
you  want  to  be  shot." 

"  Where  is  my  brother  Dick  ?  " 

Before  Arnold  Baxter  could  reply  Dan  put  in 
an  appearance,  carrying  a  pair  of  handcuffs. 

"  Now,  we'll  get  square  with  you,  Tom  Rover," 
said  the  bully  harshly. 

"  What  do  you  intend  to  do?  " 

"  Make  you  a  prisoner.    Hold  out  your  hands." 

"And  if  I  refuse?" 

"You  won't  refuse,"  put  in  Arnold  Baxter,  and, 
lowering  his  pistol,  he  leaped  behind  Tom  and 
caught  him  by  the  arms.  At  the  same  time  Dan 
attacked  the  lad  in  front  and  poor  Tom  was  soon 
handcuffed.  Then  he  was  led  out  of  the  cabin  by 
a  rear  way,  a  door  was  opened,  and  he  was  thrust 
into  the  blackness  of  the  hold.  But  ere  this  was 
accomplished  he  let  out  one  long,  loud  cry  for 
help  which  reached  Sam's  ears  quite  plainly. 

"Hi!  what  are  you  doing  to  my  brother?" 
ejaculated  the  younger  Rover.  He  had  brought 
the  rowboat  close  up  alongside  the  schooner. 


7&        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  I  don't  know  what's  up,"  answered -the  mate 
of  the  Peacock.  "  Better  come  aboard  and 
see." 

"  He  has  fallen  down  the  hatchway !  "  cried 
Captain  Langless.  "  Poor  chap !  he's  hurt  him 
self  quite  badly."  And  he  disappeared,  as  if 
going  to  Tom's  assistance. 

If  Sam  had  been  in  a  quandary  before,  he  was 
doubly  so  now.  Had  Tom  really  fallen,  or  had 
he  been  attacked  ? 

"  I  can't  leave  him  alone,"  he  thought,  and 
without  further  hesitation  leaped  up  the  side  of 
the  schooner  with  the  agility  of  a  cat. 

It  was  a  fatal  movement,  for  scarcely  had  he 
reached  the  deck  when  he  was  pounced  upon  by 
Captain  Langless  and  held  fast  until  Arnold  Bax 
ter  appeared. 

"  Let  me  go !  "  cried  Sam,  but  his  protest 
proved  of  no  avail.  A  lively  scuffle  followed,  but 
the  lad  was  no  match  for  the  men,  and  in  the  end 
he  found  himself  handcuffed  and  thrown  into  the 
hold  beside  Tom. 

"  Tie  the  rowboat  fast  to  the  stern,"  ordered 
Arnold  Baxter,  and  this  was  done. 

The  going  down  of  the  wind  was  only  tempo 
rary,  and  now  a  slight  breeze  sprang  up. 

"  We  are  in  luck !  "  said  the  captain  of  the 
schooner. 


CAUGHT  IN  A    TRAP,  79 

"  We  must  keep  away  from  the  yacht,"  re 
turned  Arnold  Baxter. 

Soon  the  schooner's  sails  were  filling  and  she 
continued  on  her  course,  dragging  the  small  boat 
behind  her.  Aleck  Pop  saw  the  movement  and 
grew  much  perplexed. 

"  Dat  don't  look  right  to  me,  nohow  !•"  he  mut 
tered.  "  'Pears  lak  da  was  bein'  tuk  along  sum- 
way!" 

Aleck  was  not  much  of  a  sailor,  but  he  had  been 
out  enough  to  know  how  to  handle  the  yacht 
under  ordinary  circumstances,  and  now  he  did  his 
best  to  follow  the  Peacock. 

With  the  glass  he  watched  eagerly  for  the  re 
appearance  of  Sam  and  Tom,  and  his  face  became 
a  study  when  fully  half  an  hour  passed  and  they 
failed  to  show  themselves. 

"Da  is  in  trouble,  suah!"  he  told  himself. 
"  Now  wot's  dis  yeah  niggah  to  do  ?  " 

He  lashed  the  wheel  fast  and  sought  advice 
from  Luke  Peterson,  who  was  feeling  stronger 
every  minute.  The  burly  lumberman  shook  his 
head  dubiously. 

"  In  trouble  for  certain,"  was  his  comment. 
"  Didn't  hear  any  pistol  shots,  did  ye?  " 

"  Didn't  heah  nuffin,  sah." 

"  They  wouldn't  remain  on  board  of  that  craft 
of  their  own  free  will." 


&o        ROVER   BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Don't  specs  da  would,  sail.  De  question  is, 
sah :  wot's  to  do  ?  "  And  Aleck  scratched  his 
woolly  head  thoughtfully. 

"  I  don't  know,  excepting  to  keep  the  schooner 
in  sight,  if  possible,  and  see  if  something  doesn't 
turn  up.  If  you  sight  a  steamer  or  a  steam  tug 
let  me  know,  and  I'll  try  to  get  help." 

So  it  was  arranged,  and  Aleck  returned  to  the 
wheel.  The  Swallow  was  going  along  smoothly, 
and  he  did  what  he  could  to  make  the  sails  draw 
as  much  as  possible.  Peterson  now  discovered 
the  medicine  chest  of  the  yacht,  and  from  this  got 
another  dose  of  liquor,  which  afforded  him  the 
temporary  strength  of  which  he  was  in  so  much 
need. 

The  coming  of  night  found  the  two  vessels  far 
out  upon  the  waters  of  Lake  Erie  and  nearly  half 
a  mile  apart.  Peterson  now  came  on  deck,  to 
keep  an  eye  on  things  while  Aleck  prepared  sup 
per.  It  promised  to  remain  clear,  but,  as  there 
would  be  no  moon,  Peterson  was  afraid  that  they 
would  lose  sight  of  the  Peacock  in  the  gathering 
darkness. 

Supper  was  soon  served,  the  lumberman  eating 
first,  and  then  Aleck  cleared  away  the  few  dishes 
and  tidied  up  generally.  The  colored  man  was 
much  downcast. 

"  Fust  it  was  Dick,  an'  now  it  am  de  whole  t'ree 


CAUGHT  IN  A    TRAP.  8 1 

of  'em,"  he  remarked.  "  I'se  afraid  dar  is  gwine 
ter  be  a  bad  endin'  to  dis  yeah  trip." 

"  We  will  have  to  take  what  comes,"  answered 
Peterson.  "  But  I  have  taken  a  fancy  to  those 
boys,  and  I'll  stick  by  you  to  the  end." 

Slowly  the  darkness  of  night  settled  over  the 
waters  of  the  lake,  and  with  the  going  down  of  the 
sun  the  stars  came  forth,  one  after  another.  Dur 
ing  the  last  few  hours  several  sail  had  been  seen 
at  a  distance,  but  none  had  come  close  enough  to 
be  hailed. 

"  We  are  going  to  lose  her  in  the  darkness,  after 
all,"  announced  the  lumberman,  at  about  eight 
o'clock.  "  It's  hard  for  me  to  see  her,  even  now." 

Half  an  hour  later  the  Peacock  disappeared  in 
the  gloom,  and  the  chase,  for  the  time  being,  came 
to  an  end. 


CHAPTER   X. 

THE    ESCAPE    FROM    THE    HOLD. 

"SAM,  is  that  you?" 

"  Yes." 

"  We  are  trapped !  " 

"  It  looks  like  it — or  rather  feels  like  it  I  can't 
see  a  thing." 

"  Nor  I.  Did  you  find  out  anything  about 
Dick?" 

"  No." 

A  groan  came  from  the  opposite  end  of  the 
hold. 

"  Here  I  am.  How  in  the  world  did  you  get 
here?" 

"  Dick,  after  all!  "  ejaculated  Tom,  and  there 
was  a  slight  trace  of  joy  in  his  tone.  "  Are  you 
O.  K.,  old  man?" 

"  Hardly.  They  dosed  me  with  drugs  until 
Aiy  mind  is  topsy-turvy." 

"  I'm  glad  you  are  alive,"  came  from  Sam. 
"  Where  are  you  ?  " 

"  Here,  lying  on  a  couple  of  boxes.  Look  out 
how  you  move  about,  or  you  may  hurt  your 
selves." 

ah 


THE   ESCAPE  FROM   THE  HOLD.  83 

Handcuffed  as  they  were,  Tom  and  Sam  felt 
their  way  along  through  the  dark  hold  until  they 
reached  their  elder  brother's  side.  I  hey  grasped 
his  hands  warmly. 

"  I'm  glad  we  are  together  again,  even  if  we  are 
prisoners,"  remarked  Tom,  and  this  was  his 
younger  brother's  sentiment,  too. 

"How  did  you  get  here?"  asked  Dick,  and 
each  told  his  story  from  beginning  to  end,  and 
then  the  elder  Rover  had  to  relate  his  own  ad 
ventures. 

"  I  knew  that  old  doctor  wasn't  telling  the 
truth,"  burst  out  Tom.  "  Oh,  but  won't  we  have 
an  account  to  settle  with  all  of  those  chaps,  if  ever 
we  gel  out  of  this  scrape." 

"  Don't  let  us  hurrah  until  we  are  out  of  the 
woods,"  added  Dick  soberly.  "  We  are  in  the 
hands  of  a  desperate  gang,  to  my  way  of  reason- 
ing." 

"  The  Baxters  are  certainly  bad  enough." 

"  And  any  boat  captain  who  would  go  into  this 
game  with  them  is  probably  just  as  bad.  Whom 
did  you  leave  on  the  yacht  ?  " 

"Aleck,  and  the  lumberman  who  was  on  the 
raft  with  you." 

"  I  wonder  if  they  will  follow  this  schooner?  " 

No  one  could  answer  this  question,  and  for  sev 
eral  minutes  there  was  a  silence.  During  that 


84        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

time  they  heard  heavy  footsteps  cross  and  recross 
the  deck,  but  that  was  all.  Presently  the  schooner 
began  to  rock  slightly. 

"  The  wind  is  coming  up,"  said  Tom.  "  \Ve 
are  moving  ahead  again."  • 

"  That's  bad  for  us — if  the  schooner  manages 
to  run  away  from  the  yacht,"  rejoined  Dick. 

Soon  the  motion  of  the  Peacock  showed  that 
the  schooner  was  bowling  along  rapidly.  They 
heard  the  creaking  of  tackle  as  additional  sails 
were  hoisted,  and  felt  certain  that  the  craft  was 
making  the  best  run  at  her  command. 

The  hold  had  not  been  opened  up  for  a  long 
time,  consequently  the  air  was  foul  as  well  as 
stifling  from  the  heat. 

"  I'd  give  something  for  some  fresh  air,"  said 
Sam.  "  How  is  it  with  you,  Dick  ?  " 

"  I  want  fresh  air  and  a  drink  of  water.  I  am 
as  dry  as  a  bale  of  cotton." 

"  Haven't  they  given  you  anything  since  you 
came  on  board  ?  "  asked  Tom. 

"  Not  a  thing." 

"  The  inhuman  wretches !  Oh,  I  wish  I  had 
Dan  Baxter  here — I'd  punch  his  head  good  for 
him." 

"  Ditto  the  head  of  his  rascally  father,"  re 
turned  Dick.  "  I  would  like  to  know  just  where 
they  intend  to  take  me — or  rather  all  of  us,  now. 


THE  ESCAPE  FROM    THE  HOLD.  85 

They  certainly  can't  expect  to  keep  us  on  board 
this  craft." 

"  Perhaps  they'll  ship  us  to  Canada." 

"  Hardly,  since  they  couldn't  land  on  the  Ca 
nadian  shore  without  an  inspection  of  the  vessel." 

"  They  have  some  plan  up  their  sleeve,  that's 
certain." 

Slowly  the  hours  wore  away,  until  all  sounds  on 
deck  ceased,  and  they  knew  it  must  be  well  along 
in  the  night.  Still  the  schooner  kept  on  her 
course. 

All  of  the  boys  had  been  working  at  their  bonds, 
but  without  success.  They  wished  they  had  a 
light,  but  neither  Sam  nor  Tom  had  a  match,  and 
Dick's  pockets  were  entirely  bare.  Tom  and  Sam 
were  likewise  minus  their  pistols,  Arnold  Baxter 
having  taken  the  weapons  away  before  placing 
them  in  the  hold. 

The  night  proved  to  be  a  truly  horrible  one  for 
the  boys,  for  the  hold  was  overrun  with  rats,  who 
became  altogether  too  familiar.  At  first  one  of 
the  pests  ran  over  Tom's  legs. 

"A  rat!"  he  cried.  "Hi,  scat!"  And  the 
frisky  rodent  scampered  off,  but  speedily  returned, 
followed  by  several  others.  After  that  they  had 
a  lively  time  of  it  for  half  an  hour,  when  the  rats 
left  them  as  suddenly  as  they  had  appeared. 

The  storm,  and  their  various  adventures,  had 


86       ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

tired  the  boys  out,  and  soon,  in  spite  of  the  sur 
roundings,  one  after  another  fell  into  a  light  doze. 
The  sleep  did  all  of  them  good,  especially  Dick, 
who  declared  on  awakening  that  he  felt  almost  as 
well  as  ever. 

"  Only  I'm  as  hungry  as  a  bear,"  he  added. 

"  Ditto  myself,"  came  from  Tom.  "  I  move 
we  try  to  break  out  of  this  dingy  hole." 

"  All  right;  but  where  shall  we  break  to?  "  put 
in  Sam.  "  I  can't  see  much  more  than  I  could 
last  night." 

The  matter  was  talked  over,  and  presently  they 
scattered,  to  feel  along  the  ribbed  walls  of  the 
hold. 

For  a  long  time  nobody  felt  anything  of  impor 
tance,  but  at  last  Sam  let  out  a  soft  cry : 

"  I've  found  something  of  a  door!  " 

"  Good  for  you,"  answered  Tom.  "  Can  you 
open  it?" 

"  No,  there  seems  to  be  a  bar  or  something  on 
the  other  side." 

The  others  rejoined  the  youngest  Rover,  and 
made  out  the  door  quite  plainly,  for  there  was  a 
broad  crack  at  the  top  and  at  the  side  opposite  the 
hinges.  There  was  a  bar,  true  enough. 

"If  we  had  something  that  we  could  slip  into 
that  crack,  we  might  move  the  bar,"  observed 
Dick. 


THE  ESCAPE  FROM   THE  HOLD.  87 

"  I  slipped  on  a  sheet  of  tin  a  while  ago/"  said 
Tom.  "  Perhaps  I  can  find  that." 

His  hunt  was  successful,  and  soon  they  had  the 
tin  in  the  crack  under  the  bar.  The  latter  gave 
way  with  ease,  and  then  they  pulled  the  door  open. 
Beyond  was  the  passageway  leading  to  the  cabin. 

"Now  what's  the  next  movement?"  whis 
pered  Sam. 

"  Let  us  try  to  arm  ourselves  first  of  all,"  an 
swered  Dick.  "  Then,  if  we  are  cornered  again, 
we  may  be  able  to  make  some  kind  of  favorable 
terms." 

He  tiptoed  his  way  into  the  cabin  and  found  it 
deserted.  On  the  table  rested  the  remains  of  a 
breakfast  served  to  several  people,  and  he  picked 
up  half  a  loaf  of  bread  and  put  it  in  the  pocket  of 
his  jacket.  Several  boiled  eggs  followed. 

On  one  of  the  walls  of  the  cabin  hung  two  old- 
fashioned  swords  and  a  brace  of  pistols.  Without 
hesitation  he  took  all  of  the  weapons  and  returned 
with  them  to  his  brothers. 

"  Here  are  pistols  and  swords,  and  something 
i  to  eat,"  he  said.  "  There  seems  to  be  nobody 
4  around,  so  you  can  come  into  the  cabin,  if  you 
wish." 

All  entered  the  compartment.  Both  water  and 
a  little  coffee  were  handy,  and  they  made  a  hasty 
repast.  While  eating,  Tom  hunted  around  the 


88        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

room  and  also  looked  into  an  adjoining  stateroom. 
In  the  latter  place  he  found  a  bunch  of  keys  on  a 
nail. 

"  If  only  one  of  'em  fits  these  handcuffs,"  he 
murmured,  and  they  tried  the  keys  without  delay. 
One  did  fit,  and  in  a  few  seconds  they  were  free 
of  their  fetters. 

"Now  May  on,  MacDuff!'"  quoted  Tom,  as 
he  swung  aloft  one  of  the  swords.  "  We'll  give 
them  a  warm  reception,  eh  ?  " 

"  We'll  do  nothing  of  the  kind,"  replied  Dick 
hastily.  "  In  this  case  silence  is  the  better  part  of 
valor.  We'll  lay  low  until  the  time  comes  to 
make  a  move." 

"  What,  do  you  mean  to  go  back  to  the  hold?  " 
asked  Sam. 

"  We  may  as  well,  for  the  present.  It  is  broad 
daylight  now.  Perhaps  we  can  escape  at  night." 

"  Do  you  suppose  they  took  our  rowboat 
along?  "  came  from  Tom. 

"  I  shouldn't  wonder.  We  can Hist! 

somebody  is  coming!  " 

Dick  was  right;  Captain  Langless  was  descend 
ing  the  companion  way.  On  tiptoes  the  three 
boys  hurried  to  the  door  leading  to  the  hold.  As 
they  flung  it  back  they  found  themselves  con 
fronted  by  Arnold  Baxter  and  Dan. 


CHAPTER   XI. 

GAINING    A    POINT. 

THE  sudden  turn  of  affairs  chagrined  the 
Rover  boys  greatly,  and  for  the  moment  none  of 
them  knew  what  to  say. 

Arnold  Baxter  and  Dan  grinned  at  the  trio 
sarcastically,  and  the  bully  was  the  first  to  break 
the  silence. 

"  Didn't  get  away  that  time,  did  you  ?  "  he 
sneered. 

"  Ha!  so  they  are  here!  "  came  from  Captain 
Langless,  who  had  just  stepped  into  the  cabin. 
"  And  without  the  handcuffs,  too." 

"  Let  us  alone,"  cried  Tom  hotly.  "  If  you 
touch  me  again,  I'll  shoot  somebody."  And  so 
speaking,  he  raised  one  of  the  pistols  taken  from 
the  cabin  wall. 

His  aim  was  at  Dan,  and  the  bully  fell  back  with 
a  cry  of  terror,  for,  as  old  readers  know,  Dan  was 
a  coward  at  heart. 

"  Don't— don't  shoot !  "  he  faltered.  "  Don't !  " 

"  My  pistols !  "  burst  out  the  captain  of  the 
Peacock,  in  a  rage.  "  Hand  those  weapons  over 
to  me,  do  you  hear  ?  " 


90       RO  VER  BO  YS  ON   THE   CREA  T  LAKES. 

He  took  several  steps  forward,  when  Diclc 
brought  him  to  a  halt  by  raising  one  of  the 
swords. 

It  was  a  dramatic  scene,  of  intense  interest  to 
all  concerned.  Arnold  Baxter  gazed  at  the  armed 
youths  in  alarm,  and  Captain  Langless  grated  his 
teeth. 

"  This  is  foolishness,"  said  the  owner  of  the 
schooner,  after  a  painful  pause.  "If  you  try  to 
fight  you'll  only  get  into  worse  trouble.  We  are, 
all  told,  ten  to.  three,  and  the  best  thing  you  can 
do  is  to  throw  down  those  arms  and  submit." 

"  We  won't  submit,"  came  from  Sam,  with  a 
boldness  which  was  astonishing  in  one  of  his 
years.  His  stirring  adventures  in  Africa  and  in 
the  West  accounted  for  much  of  this  valor. 

"  We  are  not  going  to  remain  on  this  vessel," 
said  Dick.  "  And  if  you  try  to  detain  us  further 
somebody  will  get  hurt." 

"  You  scamp !  "  fumed  Arnold  Baxter,  and 
looked  at  the  elder  Rover  as  if  to  annihilate  him 
with  a  glance.  But  Dick  remained  undaunted, 
and  gradually  Arnold  Baxter  fell  back  a  few 
steps. 

It  must  be  confessed  that  the  Rover  boys  felt 
far  from  comfortable.  Here  were  two  of  the 
enemy  on  one  side  and  one  on  the  other,  cutting 
off  their  escape  in  both  directions.  More  than 


GAINING  A   POINT.  9* 

this,  Captain  Langless  now  raised  his  voice,  and 
presently  several  rough-looking  sailors  came 
rushing  into  the  cabin. 

"  Leave  the  hold,"  cried  the  owner  of  the 
schooner  to  the  Baxters.  "  I  reckon  I  know 
how  co  manage  'em." 

Arnold  Baxter  understood,  and  at  once  took 
his  son  by  the  arm.  The  pair  had  come  down 
into  the  hold  by  means  of  a  ladder  lowered 
through  the  forward  hatchway.  Now  they  ran 
for  the  ladder,  mounted,  and  drew  it  up  after 
them.  Then  the  hatch  was  closed  down  as  before. 

In  the  meantime  Captain  Langless  whispered 
to  one  of  his  sailors,  and  the  tar  ran  to  one  of  the 
staterooms  and  returned  with  an  old-fashioned 
seven-shooter,  fully  a  foot  and  a  half  long. 

"  Now  get  back  there,"  ordered  the  owner  of 
the  schooner.  "  I  won't  have  any  more  fooling." 

"  If  you  shoot,  so  will  I,"  said  Tom  quickly. 

"  And  so  will  I,"  added  Sam. 

"  We  had  better  have  no  bloodshed,"  continued 
the  captain,  trying  to  control  himself.  "  Behave 
yourselves,  and  you'll  be  treated  all  right.  Kick 
up  a  muss,  and  it  will  go  hard  with  you." 

"  What  do  you  intend  to  do  with  us  ?  "  ques 
tioned  Dick  curiousJy. 

"  You'll  have  to  ask  your  friend  Arnold  Baxter 
about  that" 


92        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  He  is  no  friend  of  ours !  "  cried  Tom.  "  He 
is  our  worst  enemy — and  you  know  it." 

"  If  you  behave  yourself  I'll  see  to  it  that  no 
harm  befalls  you,"  continued  Captain  Langless. 
"  I'm  sorry  I  mixed  up  in  this  affair,  but  now  I 
am  in  it  I'm  going  to  see  it  through." 

"  You  are  carrying  us  off  against  our  will." 

The  owner  of  the  Peacock  shrugged  his  shoul 
ders. 

"  You'll  have  to  talk  that  over  with  Baxter  and 
his  son." 

"  You've  been  starving  us." 

"  We  were  just  going  to  furnish  you  with 
breakfast  and  a  small  keg  of  water." 

"  We  don't  want  to  stay  in  that  foul-smelling 
hold,"  put  in  Sam.  "  It  is  enough  to  make  a  fel 
low  sick." 

"  If  you'll  promise  to  behave  yourselves,  we 
may  let  you  on  deck  part  of  the  time." 

"You'd  better,"  grumbled  Tom.  He  hardly 
knew  what  to  say,  and  his  brothers  were  in  an 
equal  quandary. 

"  Come,  throw  down  your  arms  and  we'll  give 
you  breakfast  here  in  the  cabin,"  continued  Cap 
tain  Langless.  "  You  won't  find  me  such  a  bad 
chap  to  deal  with,  when  once  you  know  me.  You 
look  like  decent  sort  of  fellows,  and  if  you  do  the 
right  thing  I'll  promise  to  see  to  it  that  the  Bax« 


GAINING  A   POINT.  93 

ters  do  the  square  thing,  too.  We'll  be  better  off 
on  a  friendly  footing  than  otherwise." 

The  owner  of  the  Peacock  spoke  earnestly,  and 
it  must  be  admitted  that  he  meant  a  large  part  of 
what  he  said.  The  manliness  of  the  Rover  boys 
pleased  him,  and  he  could  not  help  but  contrast  it 
with  the  cowardice  of  the  bully,  Dan.  Perhaps, 
too,  behind  it  all,  he  was  a  bit  sick  of  the  job  he 
had  undertaken.  He  knew  that  he  had  virtually 
helped  to  kidnap  the  boys,  and,  if  caught,  this 
would  mean  a  long  term  of  imprisonment. 

Dick  looked  at  his  two  brothers,  wondering 
what  they  would  have  to  ray.  He  realized  that, 
after  all,  they  were  in  a  hopeless  minority  and 
were  bound  to  lose  in  a  hand-to-hand  struggle. 

"  We  may  as  well  try  them,"  he  whispered. 
"  If  we  fight,  one  of  us  may  get  killed." 

They  talked  among  themselves  for  several 
minutes,  and  then  Dick  turned  to  the  captain. 

"  We'll  submit  for  the  present,"  he  said. 
"  But,  mind  you,  we  expect  to  be  treated  like  gen 
tlemen." 

"  And  you  will  be  treated  as  such,"  answered 
Captain  Langless,  glad  that  there  would  be  no 
struggle.  "  Come  into  the  cabin  and  stack  those 
weapons  in  the  corner.  They  were  never  meant 
for  anything  but  wall  decorations,"  and  he 
laughed  somewhat  nervously. 


94        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES 

The  three  lads  entered  the  cabin  and  put  down 
the  weapons.  They  kept  their  eyes  on  the  cap 
tain  and  his  men,  but  there  was  no  move  to  molest 
them. 

"  You  can  go,"  said  Captain  Langless  to  the 
sailors.  "  And,  Wilson,  send  the  cook  here  for 
orders." 

The  sailors  departed,  and  with  something  of  a 
grim  smile  on  his  furrowed  face  the  owner  of  the 
Peacock  dropped  into  a  seat  near  the  companion- 
way  door.  He  had  just  started  to  speak  again 
when  there  was  a  noise  outside  and  Arnold  Baxter 
appeared. 

"Have  you  subdued  the  rascals?"  he  ques 
tioned  hastily. 

"  Reckon  I  have,"  was  the  slow  answer. 
"  Leas'wise,  they  have  thrown  down  their 
'weapons." 

"  Then  why  don't  you  handcuff  them  again,  the 
rats!" 

"  We  are  no  rats,  and  I'll  trouble  you  to  be 
civil,"  returned  Dick  firmly. 

.      "Ha!     I'll  show  you !"  howled  Arnold  Bax- 
-'  ter,  and  would  have  rushed  at  Dick  had  not  the 
captain  interposed. 

"  Hold  on,  sir,"  were  the  words  of  the  ship's 
owner.  "  We  have  called  a  truce.  They  have 
promised  to  behave  themselves  if  we  treat  them 


GAINING  A   POINT.  95 

squarely,  and  so  there  are  to  be  no  more  back- 
bitings." 

"  But — er "  Arnold  Baxter  was  so  aston 
ished  he  could  scarcely  speak.  "  You  are  not 
going  to  put  them  in  the  hold?  " 

"Not  for  the  present." 

"  They  will  run  away." 

"  How  can  they,  when  we  are  out  of  sight  of 
land?" 

"  They  ought  to  be  chained  down." 

"  Supposing  you  let  me  be  the  judge  of  that, 
Mr.  Baxter.  I  promised  to  do  certain  things  for 
you.  If  I  do  them,  you'll  have  no  cause  to  com 
plain." 

"  Have  you  decided  to  take  these  boys'  part  ?  " 
ejaculated  Arnold  Baxter,  turning  pale. 

"  I  have  made  up  my  mind  that  treating  them 
like  beasts  won't  do  any  good." 

"  They  don't  deserve  it." 

"  Don't  deserve  what?  " 

"  To  be  well  treated.     They  are — are " 

"  Young  gentlemen,"  finished  Tom.  "  The 
captain  knows  gentlemen  when  he  sees  them,  even 
if  you  don't." 

"  Don't  talk  to  me,  Tom  Rover." 

"  I  will  talk  whenever  I  please.  I  am  not  your 
slave." 

"  But  you  are  in  my  power,  don't  forget  that." 


9<5        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

At  this  moment  the  cook  of  the  schooner  ap« 
peared. 

"  What's  wanted?  "  he  asked  of  the  captain. 

"  Bring  some  breakfast  for  these  three  young 
gentlemen,"  said  Captain  Langless.  "  Some 
fresh  coffee  and  bread  and  some  fried  eggs  and 
potatoes." 

At  this  order  Arnold  Baxter  stood  fairly 
aghast.  "  You  are  going  to  let  them  dine 
here?  "  he  gasped. 

"  I  am." 

"  But — but  you  must  be  crazy.  They  will — er 
— think  they  are  running  the  ship !  " 

"  No,  they  won't.  Leave  them  to  me,  and  I'm 
sure  we  will  get  along  all  right.  Come,  let  us  go 
on  deck." 

"  What!  and  leave  them  alone?  " 

"  I  will  send  a  man  down  to  see  that  they  don't 
get  into  mischief." 

"  But  I  don't  like  this  turn  of  affairs,"  stam 
mered  Arnold  Baxter.     He  was  half  afraid  the 
captain  was  going  back  on  him. 
)     "  It's  all  right ;  come,"  answered  the  owner  of 
'the  Peacock;  and  a  moment  later  both  men  quitted 
the  cabin. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A    DINNER    OF    IMPORTANCE. 

"  THE  captain  isn't  such  a  bad  fellow,  after  all/' 
observed  Sam,  when  the  three  Rovers  were  left  to 
themselves. 

"  He  certainly  isn't  a  brute,"  answered  Dick. 
"  But  about  being  bad,  that's  another  story." 

"  He's  got  an  awfully  shrewd  face,"  put  in 
Tom.  "  But  I'm  mighty  glad  he  turned  old  Bax 
ter  down.  That  villain  would  ride  over  us  rough 
shod." 

"  I  think,  all  told,  we  have  gained  a  point/* 
continued  Dick.  "  It's  something  to  be  treated 
decently,  even  if  you  are  a  prisoner.  The  ques 
tion  is,  how  long  will  we  be  caged  up  on  board  of 
the  schooner?  " 

"  I  would  like  to  know  if  the  Swallow  is  in 
sight,"  said  Tom.  "  Wonder  if  I  can't  slip  up 
the  companion  way  and  find  out  ?  " 

He  arose  from  the  seat  into  which  he  had 
dropped,  but  before  he  could  gain  the  doorway 
a  sailor  appeared  and  waved  him  back.  Then 
the  sailor  took  the  seat  the  captain  had  occupied 
by  the  door. 


98        ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Are  you  sent  to  spy  on  us  ?  "  demanded  Tom 

"  I  was  sent  to  see  that  you  didn't  cut  up  any 
tricks,"  answered  the  tar.  He  was  terribly  cross 
eyed,  but  appeared  to  be  rather  good-natured. 
"  You  mustn't  go  on  deck  without  the  captain's 
permission." 

"  Can't  we  have  any  fresh  air?  " 

"  You'll  have  to  ask  the  captain  about  that. 
He  said  I  was  to  watch  you  while  you  had  break 
fast,  and  keep  you  and  those  other  folks  from 
quarreling." 

"  What  other  folks,  the  Baxters?  " 

"  Yes." 

No  more  was  said,  and  soon  the  cook  appeared 
with  a  pot  full  of  newly  made  coffee  and  a  trayful 
of  other  things.  The  hasty  lunch  had  been  a 
scanty  one,  and  it  did  not  interfere  with  the  boys' 
appetites  for  what  was  now  set  before  them. 

"  This  is  all  right,"  observed  Sam,  when  he  had 
almost  finished  eating.  "  We  couldn't  have  a 
better  meal  on  the  Swallow."  He  turned  to  the 
sailor.  "  Is  the  yacht  still  in  sight  ?  " 

He  spoke  carelessly,  but  the  tar  knew  how  much 
he  was  interested  and  smiled  suggestively. 

"  No  sail  of  any  kind  in  sight." 

"  Where  are  we  bound  ?  " 

"  You'll  have  to  ask  the  captain  about  that." 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  you  don't  know  ?  " 


A   DINNER   OF  IMPORTANCE.  99 

The  sailor  nodded.  "  We  follow  orders,  we 
do,  and  that's  all,"  he  observed,  and  then  they 
could  get  nothing  more  out  of  him. 

The  boys  took  their  time,  yet  the  meal  was  fin 
ished  inside  of  half  an  hour.  They  were  just  get 
ting  up  from  the  table  when  Captain  Langless  re 
appeared. 

"  Well,  how  did  the  breakfast  suit?  "  he  asked. 

"  First-rate,"  returned  Dick.  '  Now,  if  you 
don't  mind,  we  would  like  to  go  on  deck." 

"  You  may  do  so  under  one  condition." 

"And  that  is ?" 

"  That  you  will  go  below  again  when  ordered 
by  me." 

At  this  both  Tom  and  Sam  cut  wry  faces. 

"  You  are  rather  hard  on  us,"  said  Dick  slowly. 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  think  I  am  treating  you 
generously.  The  Baxters  wish  to  handcuff  you 
and  put  you  back  into  the  hold." 

There  was  a  pause,  and  then  the  boys  agreed,  if 
allowed  to  go  on  deck,  to  go  below  again  when 
ever  the  captain  wished. 

"  But,  remember,  we  are  going  to  get  away  if 
we  can,"  added  Dick. 

"  All  right,  get  away — if  you  can,"  rejoined 
Captain  Langless.  "  If  you  go  overboard  you'll 
be  in  for  a  long  swim,  I  can  tell  you  that." 

It  felt  good  to  get  into  the  bright  sunshine  once 


100     ROVER   BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

more,  and  the  boys  tumbled  up  to  the  deck  with 
out  ceremony.  As  soon  as  they  had  quitted  the 
cabin  the  captain  put  away  the  weapons  at  hand, 
locking  them  in  a  closet. 

As  the  sailor  had  said,  no  other  craft  was  in 
sight,  and  on  every  hand  stretched  the  calm  waters 
of  Lake  Erie  as  far  as  eye  could  reach.  The 
course  was  northwest,  and  Dick  rightfully  guessed 
that  they  were  heading  for  the  Detroit  River. 
There  was  a  stiff  breeze  blowing  and,  with  every 
sail  set,  the  Peacock  was  making  rapid  headway. 

It  was  not  long  before  Dan  Baxter  came  up  to 
them.  The  bully's  face  was  dark  and  threaten 
ing,  yet  he  did  not  dare  say  much,  for  Captain 
Langless  had  given  him  warning  that  the  pris 
oners  must  not  be  molested. 

"  I  suppose  you  think  it  a  fine  thing  to  be  upj 
here,"  he  began. 

"  It  will  be  if  we  don't  get  too  much  of  you," 
replied  Tom  bluntly. 

"  I  suppose  you  would  give  a  good  deal  to  be  on 
land." 

"  Not  particularly.  We  enjoy  sailing.  If 
not,  we  wouldn't  have  been  out  in  our  yacht." 

"  Where  were  you  bound  ?  " 

"  That  was  our  business,  Baxter." 

"  Oh,  if  you  don't  want  to  tell  me,  you  needn't," 
growled  the  bully,  and  walked  away. 


A   DINNER   OF  IMPORTANCE.  IOI 

"  I'll  wager  he  and  his  father  have  had  a  row 
with  Captain  Langless,"  observed  Dick.  "  Other 
wise  he  wouldn't  be  half  so  meek." 

"  I  wish  we  could  win  Captain  Langless  over 
to  our  side,"  put  in  Sam  suddenly,  struck  by  the 
idea.  "  Do  you  suppose  it  could  be  done  if  we 
paid  him  well  ?  " 

"  I'd  hate  to  buy  him  off,"  said  Tom. 

"  But  it  might  be  best,"  said  Dick  slowly. 
"  We  don't  know  what  the  Baxters  may  have  ill 
store  for  us." 

"  It's  pretty  plain  to  me  what  they  want  to  do, 
They  are  going  to  hold  us  prisoners  until  fathet 
signs  off  his  rights  to  that  mining  claim." 

"  And  if  father  won't  sign  off?  " 

"  Then  they'll  treat  us  pretty  badly." 

"  Perhaps  they'll  kill  us." 

"  We  can  sound  Captain  Langless — it  won't  do 
any  harm." 

"  But  you  mustn't  let  the  Baxters  get  an  ink 
ling  of  what  is  up." 

For  the  present  the  captain  was  not  in  sight, 
having  retired  to  the  stern  to  consult  Arnold  Bax 
ter  upon  several  points.  They  remained  on  deck 
until  noon,  when  the  cook  called  them  to  dinnef 
in  the  cabin.  They  found  they  were  to  dine  with 
Captain  Langless. 

"  I  asked  the  Baxters  to  join  us,  but  they  de- 


102      ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

clined,"  he  observed,  as  they  sat  down. 
I  am  not  so  high-toned." 

"  You  mean  you  are  not  such  a  fool,"  returned 
Dick.  "  For  myself,  I  am  glad  they  are  staying 
away.  My  meal  would  be  spoiled  if  I  had  to  eat 
with  them." 

"  They  are  very  bitter  against  you,  that's  cer 
tain,"  went  on  the  owner  of  the  schooner 
smoothly.  "  They  want  me  to  do  all  sorts  of 
mean  things.  But  I  have  declined.  I  am  play 
ing  a  game  with  them,  but  I  want  to  do  it  as  be 
comes  a  man." 

Dick  looked  around,  to  see  that  no  outsider  was 
within  earshot.  "  Why  do  you  play  the  game 
with  them,  Captain  Langless?"  he  whispered. 

The  owner  of  the  schooner  frowned. 

"  Well,  one  must  make  a  living,  if  you  want  an 
answer,"  he  returned  shortly. 

"  True,  but  you  might  make  a  living  more 
honestly." 

"  By  helping  us,  for  instance,"  added  Tom. 

"  By  helping  you  ?  " 

**  Yes,  by  helping  us,"  resumed  Dick. 

"  I  must  say,  lads,  I  don't  quite  understand 
you."  The  captain  looked  at  them  sharply,  as  if 
anxious  for  either  to  proceed. 

"  Let  us  review  the  situation,"  continued  the 
eldest  of  the  Rovers.  "  In  the  first  place,  we  take 


A   DINNER  OF  IMPORTANCE,  103 

it  that  you  have  been  hired  by  the  Baxters  to  do  a 
certain  thing." 

"  Granted." 

"  The  Baxters  have  promised  to  pay  you  for 
your  work  and  for  the  use  of  your  vessel." 

"  Granted  again." 

"  You  are  running  on  dangerous  ground,  and  if 
you  get  tripped  up  it  means  a  long  term  of  im 
prisonment." 

"  You  are  a  clever  fellow,  Rover,  and  your 
school  training  does  you  credit.  However,  I 
don't  know  as  any  of  us  expect  to  get  tripped 
up." 

"  No  criminal  does  until  he  is  caught." 

"  There  may  be  something  in  that.  But  I  am 
willing  to  take  my  chances.  As  the  old  saying 
goes :  '  Nothing  ventured,  nothing  gained.' ' 

"  But  wouldn't  you  rather  venture  on  the  right 
side?" 

"  You  want  me  to  come  to  terms;  is  that  it?  " 

"  We  do.  We  can  make  it  worth  your  while,  if 
you  will  help  us  and  help  bring  the  Baxters  to 
justice.  Do  you  know  that  Arnold  Baxter  is  an 
escaped  convict,  who  got  out  of  a  New  York 
prison  on  a  forged  pardon  ?  " 

"  No,  I  know  very  little  of  the  man." 

"  He  is  a  bad  one,  and  his  son  is  little  better. 
Standing  in  with  them  is  a  serious  business.  I 


104     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

don't  know  much  about  you,  but  you  don't  look 
like  a  man  who  is  bad  by  choice." 

At  this  the  captain  of  the  Peacock  !et  out  a  light 
laugh.  "  You  talk  as  if  you  were  a  man  of  deep 
experience  instead  of  a  mere  boy." 

"  I  have  had  some  experience,  especially  with 
bad  folks — not  only  in  this  country,  but  in  Africa, 
so  that  gives  me  an  age  not  counted  by  years.  To 
my  mind  it  seems  that  a  man  ought  to  be  more 
willing  to  make  money  honestly  than  dis 
honestly." 

A  long  silence  followed  this  speech. 

"  Tell  me  what  you  have  to  offer,"  said  the  cap 
tain,  and  leaned  back  in  his  chair  to  listen. 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

PRISONERS    THREE. 

IT  was  easy  to  see  that  Captain  Langless  was 
"  feeling  his  way,"  as  the  saying  is,  and  Dick  felt 
that  he  must  go  slow  or  he  might  spoil  everything. 
Criminals  are  of  all  shades  and  degrees,  and  look 
at  affairs  in  a  different  light  from  honest  men. 
It  is  said  that  some  would  rather  be  dishonest  than 
honest,  and  Dick  did  not  yet  know  how  the  owner 
of  the  Peacock  stood  on  that  point. 

"  Perhaps  you  had  better  tell  us  first  what 
Arnold  Baxter  has  offered  you,"  said  the  elder 
Rover,  as  he  looked  the  owner  of  the  schooner 
squarely  in  the  eyes. 

"  Well,  he  has  offered  considerable,  if  his 
schemes  go  through." 

"  And  if  they  fail  you  get  nothing." 

"  I  am  a  good  loser — so  I  shan't  complain." 

"  Supposing  I  was  to  offer  you  several  hundred 
dollars  if  you  saw  us  safe  on  shore." 

"  How  can  you  offer  any  money  ?  You  haven't 
got  it  with  you,  have  you  ?  " 

"  No.  But  I  could  get  the  money,  and  what  I 
promised  to  pay  I  would  pay." 


106     ROVER   BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  But  several  hundred  dollars  wouldn't  be 
enough." 

"  If  you  helped  to  bring  the  Baxters  to  justice 
we  might  make  it  a  thousand  dollars,"  put  in 
Tom,  who  was  now  as  anxious  as  Dick  to  bring 
the  captain  to  terms. 

At  the  mention  of  a  thousand  dollars  the  eyes 
of  Captain  Langless  glistened.  The  sum  was  not 
large,  but  it  was  sufficient  to  interest  him.  He 
had  already  received  three  hundred  dollars  fro^n 
Arnold  Baxter,  as  a  guarantee  of  good  faith,  so 
to  speak,  but  there  was  no  telling  how  much  more 
he  could  expect  from  that  individual.  If  he 
could  obtain  thirteen  hundred  dollars  all  told,  and 
get  out  of  the  affair  on  the  safe  side,  he  might  be 
doing  well. 

"  How  would  you  pay  this  thousand  dollars?  " 
he  asked. 

"  Our  father  would  pay  it.  He  is  a  fairly  rich 
man,  and  anxious  to  see  Arnold  Baxter  returned 
to  prison." 

"  To  get  the  man  out  of  his  path  ?  " 

"  Partly  that,  and  partly  to  see  justice  done,  r 
Come,  what  do  you  say?  '' 

Before  the  captain  could  answer  there  came  a 
call  down  the  companion  way. 

"  Two  vessels  in  sight — a  schooner  and  a  steam 
tug,"  announced  a  sailor. 


PRISONERS    THREE.  107 

"  Coming  this  way  ?  "  asked  the  master  of  the 
schooner. 

"  Aye,  sir." 

Captain  Langless  arose  at  once. 

"  I  will  have,  to  ask  you  to  step  into  the  hold 
again,"  he  said  politely,  but  firmly.  "  I  will  talk 
over  what  you  have  offered  later." 

He  motioned  to  the  passageway  leading  to  the 
hold.  Sam  was  on  the  point  of  objecting,  but 
Dick  silenced  him  with  a  look. 

"  All  right,  we'll  go,"  grumbled  Tom.  "  But 
I'm  going  to  take  the  dessert  with  me,"  and  he 
took  up  a  bowl  of  rice  pudding  and  a  spoon. 
Dick  followed  with  a  pitcher  of  water  and  a  glass, 
at  which  the  captain  had  to  grin.  As  soon  as  they 
were  in  the  hold  the  owner  of  the  schooner  bolted 
the  door  and  fixed  it  so  that  it  might  not  again  be 
opened  from  the  inside. 

"  Two  ships  in  sight ! "  cried  Sam,  when  they 
were  alone.  "  We  ought  to  have  made  a  dash 
for  liberty." 

"  It  wouldn't  have  helped  us,"  answered  his 
oldest  brother.  "  Those  vessels,  must  be  some 
distance  away,  and  before  they  came  up  we  would 
be  down  here,  handcuffed,  and  in  disgrace  with  the 
captain.  If  we  treat  him  right,  we  may  win  him 
over  and  finish  the  Baxters'  game." 

Sitting  in  the  darkness  they  took  their  time 


108      ROVER  BOYS   ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

about  eating  the  rice  pudding,  and  Dick  placed  the 
water  where  it  could  be  found  when  wanted. 
Then  they  listened  for  the  approach  of  the  two 
vessels  which  the  lookout  had  sighted. 

Yet  hour  after  hour  went  by  and  nothing  of  im 
portance  reached  their  ears.  The  vessels  came  up 
and  passed  them,  and  then  the  Peacock  turned  in 
for  the  mouth  of  the  Detroit  River.  Soon  the 
boys  knew,  by  the  steam  whistles  and  other 
sounds,  that  the  schooner  was  approaching  some 
sort  of  harbor. 

A  dreary  evening  and  night  followed.  The 
Peacock  came  to  a  standstill,  and  they  heard  the 
sails  come  down  and  the  anchors  dropped.  But 
nobody  came  to  them,  and  they  had  to  sink  to  rest 
supperless.  They  remained  awake  until  after 
midnight,  then  dozed  off  one  after  another. 

When  they  awoke  a  surprise  awaited  them. 
The  hold  was  lit  up  by  the  rays  of  a  bright  lantern 
liung  on  a  hook  near  the  door  leading  to  the  cabin 
passageway.  Below  the  lantern  stood  a  tray 
filled  with  eatables,  and  near  at  hand  was  a  bucket 
of  fresh  water  and  half  a  dozen  newspapers  and 
magazines. 

"  By  Jinks,  this  is  not  so  bad !  "  observed  Tom. 
"  We  are  to  have  breakfast,  that's  certain." 

"  And  reading  to  occupy  our  spare  time,"  added 
Sam. 


PRISONERS   THREE. 

Dick,  however,  looked  at  the  layout  with  a 
fallen  face.  "  I  don't  like  it,"  he  said.  "  This 
looks  too  much  as  if  the  captain  and  the  others 
meant  to  keep  us  here  for  some  time." 

"  I  suppose  that's  so,"  came  from  Tom,  and 
then  he,  too,  looked  crestfallen. 

"  Well,  let  us  make  the  best  of  it,"  said  Sam, 
and  began  to  eat,  and  the  others  did  the  same. 
Since  time  seemed  no  object  they  ate  slowly,  in 
the  meantime  reviewing  the  situation  from  every 
possible  standpoint,  but  without  arriving  at  any 
satisfactory  conclusion. 

They  had  allowed  their  watches  to  run  down, 
so  there  was  no  telling  what  time  it  was.  But  at 
last  a  faint  streak  of  sunshine,  coming  through  a 
seam  in  the  deck,  told  that  it  must  be  near  noon. 
Yet  no  one  came  near  them,  and  all  was  as  silent, 
close  at  hand,  as  a  tomb,  although  in  the  distance 
they  heard  an  occasional  steam  whistle  or  other 
sound  common  to  a  great  city. 

There  was  nothing  in  the  hold  by  which  to 
reach  the  hatchway,  but,  growing  weary  of  wait 
ing,  Tom  dragged  a  box  hither  and  asked  Dick 
and  Sam  to  stand  upon  it.  Then  he  climbed  on 
their  shoulders,  to  find  his  head  directly  against 
the  beams  of  the  deck.  He  pushed  with  all  of 
his  strength  on  the  hatch,  to  find  it  battened  down 
on  the  outside. 


HO     ROVER  BOYS  Off   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Stumped !  "  he  cried  laconically,  and  leaped  to 
the  floor  of  the  hold.  "  We  are  prisoners  and  no 
mistake." 

After  this  they  went  back  to  the  door  leading  to 
the  cabin.  But  this  likewise  could  not  be  moved, 
and  in  the  end  they  sat  down  a  good  deal  dis 
couraged. 

It  was  well  toward  night  when  they  heard  a 
noise  at  the  door.  As  they  leaped  up,  expecting 
to  see  the  Baxters  or  Captain  Langless,  the  barrier 
opened  and  the  cook  of  the  schooner  appeared, 
backed  up  by  two  of  the  sailors.  The  cook  had 
another  trayful  of  food,  which  he  passed  to  Dick 
in  silence,  taking  the  other  tray  in  exchange. 

"  Where  is  Captain  Langless  ?  "  asked  Tom. 

"  Can't  come  now,"  answered  the  cook. 

"  Then  send  the  Baxters  here." 

"  They  can't  come  either." 

"  Have  they  gone  ashore?  "  questioned  Dick. 

"  I  can't  answer  any  questions,"  and  the  cook 
started  to  back  out. 

"  Who  is  in  charge?     We  must  see  somebody." 

"  I  am  in  charge,"  said  a  rough  voice,  and  now 
the  mate  of  the  schooner  thrust  himself  forward. 
"  You  had  better  be  quiet  until  the  cap'n  gits 
back." 

"  Then  he  has  gone  ashore?  " 

"  Yes,  if  you  must  know." 


PRISONERS   THREE.  Ill 

"  And  the  Baxters  with  him." 

"  Yes,  but  all  hands  will  be  back  soon." 

"  Are  we  in  Detroit  harbor  ?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Then  I'm  for  escaping !  "  shouted  Tom,  and 
taking  up  the  water  pitcher  he  aimed  it  at  the 
mate's  head.  The  blow  struck  fairly,  and  the 
sailor  went  down,  partly  stunned.  Seeing  the 
success  of  his  move  Tom  leaped  for  the  passage 
way,  and  Dick  and  Sam  followed  their  brother. 


CHAPTER   XIV. 

DICK    MAKES    HIS    ESCAPE. 

THERE  are  times  when  a  movement  made  on 
the  spur  of  the  moment  is  more  successful  than 
one  which  is  premeditated.  The  enemy  is  taken 
completely  off  guard  and  does  not  realize  what 
is  happening  until  it  is  over. 

It  was  so  in  the  present  instance.  The  mate  of 
the  Peacock  was  a  tough  customer  and  a  heavy- 
built  man,  and  the  men  behind  him  were  also 
large,  and  none  of  the  three  had  imagined  that  the 
boys  would  really  undertake  to  combat  them. 

As  the  mate  went  down  Tom  leaped  directly  on 
top  of  him,  thus  holding  him  to  the  floor  for  the 
moment,  and  then  struck  out  for  the  nearest  man, 
hitting  him  in  the  chin.  Then  Dick  came  to  his 
brother's  aid  with  a  blow  that  reached  the  sailor's 
ear,  and  he  too  fell  back. 

But  the  third  man  had  a  second  to  think,  and  he 
retaliated  by  a  blow  which  nearly  lifted  poor  Tom 
off  his  feet.  But  before  he  could  strike  out  a 
second  time,  Sam,  with  the  nimbleness  01  a 
monkey,  darted  in  and  caught  him  by  one  leg. 


DICK  MAKES  HIS  ESCAPE.  "3 

Dick  saw  the  movement,  gave  the  sailor  a  shove, 
and  the  tar  pitched  headlong  in  the  passage 
way. 

The  opening  was  now  tolerably  clear,  and  away 
went  the  three  boys  for  the  cabin,  gaining  the 
compartment  before  any  of  the  men  could  follow. 
The  door  to  the  companion  way  was  open,  and  up 
the  steps  they  flew  with  all  the  speed  at  their  com 
mand.  They  heard  the  sailors  yell  at  them  and 
use  language  unfit  to  print,  but  paid  no  heed. 
Their  one  thought  was  to  put  distance  between 
themselves  and  those  who  wished  to  keep v  them 
prisoners. 

"  Stop !  stop !  "  roared  the  mate.  "  Stop,  or  it 
will  be  the  worse  for  you !  " 

"  I  guess  we  know  what  we  are  doing !  "  panted 
Tom.  "  Come  on !  "  And  he  caught  Sam  by  the 
arm. 

The  deck  gained,  they  gave  a  hasty  look  around. 
The  schooner  was  lying  at  anchor  about  a  hun 
dred  yards  from  shore,  at  a  short  distance  above 
the  busy  portion  of  the  city. 

"  There  ought  to  be  a  small  boat  handy,"  said 
Dick,  leading  the  way  to  the  stern. 

"  We  can't  wait  for  a  boat,"  answered  Sam. 
"  Let  us  swim  for  it.  Perhaps  somebody  will 
come  and  pick  us  up."  And  without  further  ado 
he  leaped  overboard.  Seeing  this,  his  brothers 


H4     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES, 

did  likewise,  and  all  three  struck  out  boldly  fof 
the  nearest  dock. 

It  was  a  risky  thing  to  do,  with  all  their  cloth 
ing  on,  but  each  was  a  good  swimmer  and  the 
weather  had  made  the  water  very  warm.  On 
they  went,  keeping  as  closely  together  as  pos 
sible. 

"  Are  you  coming  back?  "  furiously  yelled  the 
mate,  as  he  reached  the  rail  and  shook  his  fist  at 
them. 

To  this  none  of  the  boys  made  reply. 

"  If  you  don't  come  back  I'll  shoot  at  you," 
went  on  the  man. 

"  Do  you  think  he  will  shoot  ?  "  asked  Sam,  in 
alarm. 

"  No,"  answered  Dick.  "  We  are  too  close  to 
the  city,  and  there  are  too  many  people  who  would 
hear  the  shot." 

"  A  boat  is  putting  off  from  the  shore,"  said 
Tom,  a  second  later.  "  It  contains  three  per 
sons." 

"  Captain  Langless  and  the  Baxters ! "  burst 
out  Dick.  "  Dive,  and  swim  as  hard  as  you  can 
down  the  stream." 

All  promptly  dove,  and  the  weight  of  their 
clothing  kept  them  under  as  long  as  they  pleased 
to  remain.  When  they  came  up  they  heard  the 
mate  yelling  frantically  to  those  in  the  boat,  who 


-:  I.-:' 'i-' 
S4 


CAPTAIN   LANGLESS   CAUGHT   HIM   BY   THE   HAIR. 
The  Rover  Boys  on  the  Great  Lakes. 


—  /X§V    115. 


DICK  MAKES  HIS  ESCAPE.  1 15 

did  not  at  once  comprehend  the  turn  affairs  had 
taken. 

But  when  they  saw  the  boys  they  began  to  row 
toward  them  with  all  swiftness. 

"  Wemust  recapture  them,"  cried  Arnold  Bax 
ter.  "  If  they  get  away,  our  cake  will  be  dough." 

"  Then  row  as  hard  as  you  can,"  replied  Cap 
tain  Langless.  He  was  at  one  pair  of  oars  while 
Arnold  Baxter  was  at  another.  Dan  sat  in  the 
bow. 

Slowly,  but  surely,  the  craft  drew  closer  to  the 
Rover  boys,  until  it  was  less  than  a  hundred  feet 
off.  Then  it  was  seen  that  the  lads  had  separated 
and  were  moving  in  three  directions.  Dick  had 
ordered  this. 

"  If  we  separate,  they  won't  catch  all  of  us," 
were  his  words.  "  And  whoever  escapes  can  in 
form  the  authorities." 

On  pushed  the  boys,  striving  as  never  before  to 
gain  the  shore  before  the  rowboat  should  come  up 
to  them. 

The  small  craft  headed  first  for  Tom,  and  pres 
ently  it  glided  close  to  him.  He  promptly  dove, 
"but  when  he  came  up  Captain  Langless  caught 
him  by  the  hair. 

"  It's  no  use,  lad,"  said  the  captain  firmly,  and 
despite  his  struggles  hauled  him  on  board. 

"Let  me  go!"  roared  Tom,  and  kicked  out 


Il6      ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

lively.  But  the  captain  continued  to  hold  him 
down,  while  Arnold 'Baxter  now  headed  the  boat 
toward  Sam. 

Sam  was  almost  exhausted,  for  the  weight  of 
his  wet  garments  was  beginning  to  tell  upon  him. 
As  the  rowboat  came  closer  he  also  thought  to 
dive,  but  the  effort  almost  cost  him  his  life.  He 
came  up  half  unconscious,  and  only  realized  in  a 
dim,  uncertain  way  what  was  happening. 

But  the  capture  of  Tom  and  his  younger 
brother  had  taken  time,  and  now  those  in  the  row- 
boat  saw  that  Dick  was  almost  to  shore.  To  take 
him,  therefore,  was  out  of  the  question. 

"  We'll  have  to  let  him  go,"  said  Captain  Lang- 
less.  "  The  quicker  the  Peacock  gets  out  of  this 
the  better." 

"  Yes,  but  if  he  gets  away  he'll  make  the  ship 
no  end  of  trouble,"  returned  Arnold  Baxter. 
"  I've  half  a  mind  to  fire  at  him,"  and  he  drew  a 
pistol. 

"  No !  no !  I  won't  have  it,"  cried  the  captain 
sternly.  "  To  the  schooner,  and  the  quicker  the 
better." 

Holding  Tom,  he  made  the  Baxters  turn  the 
boat  about  and  row  to  the  Peacock.  The  mate 
was  waiting  for  him,  and  it  did  not  take  long 
to  get  on  board.  The  mate  wished  to  explain 
matters,  but  Captain  Langless  would  not  listen. 


DICK  MAKES  HIS  ESCAPE.  "7 

"Another  time,  Cadmus,"  he  said  sharply. 
"  Into  the  hold  with  them,  and  see  they  don't  get 
away  again.  We  must  up  sail  and  anchor  with 
out  the  loss  of  a  minute.  That  boy  who  got  away 
is  going  to  make  trouble  for  us." 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir ! "  said  Cadmus,  and  dragged 
the  unfortunates  away  to  the  hatch.  He  dropped 
both  down  without  ceremony,  and  then  saw  to  it 
that  hatch  and  door  were  tightly  closed  and  made 
fast. 

In  a  few  minutes  the  anchors  were  up  and  the 
sails  hoisted,  and  the  Peacock  was  steering 
straight  up  Lake  St.  Clair  toward  the  St.  Clair 
River.  To  reach  Lake  Huron  the  schooner 
would  have  to  cover  a  distance  of  seventy-five  to 
eighty  miles,  and  the  captain  wondered  if  this 
could  be  done  ere  the  authorities  got  on  their" 
track. 

"  Once  on  Lake  Huron  we  will  be  safe  enough," 
he  observed  to  Arnold  Baxter.  "  I  know  the  lake 
well,  and  know  of  half  a  dozen  islands  near  the 
Canadian  shore  where  we  will  be  safe  in  hiding." 

"  But  that  boy  may  telegraph  to  St.  Clair  or 
Port  Huron,  or  some  other  point,  and  have  the 
Peacock  held  up,"  answered  Arnold  Baxter. 

"  We've  got  to  run  that  risk,"  was  the  grim 
reply.  "  If  we  get  caught,  I'll  have  an  account  to 
settle  with  Cadmus." 


Jl8     ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

A  while  later  the  mate  and  the  sailors  who  had 
been  with  him  were  called  into  the  cabin,  so  that 
Captain  Langless  might  hear  what  they  had  to 
say.  The  mate  told  a  long  story  of  how  the  boys 
had  broken  open  the  door  leading  to  the  cabin, 
with  a  crowbar,  obtained  from  he  knew  not 
where,  and  had  fought  them  with  the  bar  and  with 
a  club  and  a  pistol.  There  had  been  a  fierce 
struggle,  but  the  lads  had  slipped  away  like  eels. 
The  sailors  corroborated  the  mate's  tale,  and  added 
that  the  boys  had  fought  like  demons. 

"  I'll  fix  them  for  that,"  said  Arnold  Baxter, 
when  he  heard  the  account.  "  They'll  find  out 
who  is  master  before  I  get  through  with  them." 

But  this  did  not  suit  Captain  Langless,  who  had 
not  forgotten  his  talk  with  the  Rovers  at  the  din 
ner  table.  If  it  looked  as  if  he  was  going  to  be 
cornered,  he  thought  that  a  compromise  with  Tom 
and  Sam  would  come  in  very  handy. 

"  You  mustn't  mistreat  the  boys,"  he  said,  when 
Cadmus  and  the  other  sailors  were  gone.  "  It 
won't  help  your  plot  any,  and  it  will  only  cause 
more  trouble." 

"  You  seem  to  be  taking  the  affair  out  of  my 
hands,"  growled  Arnold  Baxter. 

"  I  know  I  am  running  a  larger  risk  than  you," 
answered  the  captain.  "  I  own  this  craft,  and  if 
she  is  confiscated  I'll  be  the  loser." 


DICK  MAKES  HIS  ESCAPE.  HQ 

"  But  see  what  I  have  offered  you." 

"  Yes,  if  we  win  out,  as  the  saying  goes.  But 
things  won't  be  so  nice  if  we  lose,  will  they?  " 

"  I  don't  intend  to  lose.  I  have  a  scheme  on 
hand  for  getting  to  Lake  Huron  before  to-morrow 
morning." 

"  By  what  means  ?  " 

"  Hire  a  large  and  swift  tug  to  haul  the  Pea 
cock.  We  can  make  splendid  time,  considering 
that  the  schooner  is  without  a  cargo." 

"  Who  is  going  to  pay  the  towing  bill  ?  " 

"  How  much  will  it  be?  " 

"  The  kind  of  tug  you  want  will  cost  about 
fifty  dollars." 

"  All  right  then,  I'll  pay  the  bill." 

The  idea  pleased  the  captain,  and  the  bargain 
was  struck  then  and  there. 

Half  an  hour  later  a  tug  was  sighted  and  hailed, 
and  the  captain  told  a  story  of  a  "  rush  job  "  wait 
ing  for  him  at  Port  Huron.  A  bargain  was 
struck  for  the  towing,  and  soon  a  hawser  was  cast 
over  to  the  schooner  and  the  race  for  Lake  Huron 
began. 


CHAPTER   XV. 

WHAT   THE   LAME   MAN    KNEW. 

DICK  was  not  aware  that  his  brothers  had  been 
captured  until  some  hours  after  the  sailing  of  the 
schooner.  He  headed  for  a  part  of  the  river 
where  several  small  craft  were  moving  about,  and 
was  just  about  to  climb  up  the  spiling  of  one  of 
the  docks  when  a  lighter  hit  him  and  knocked  him 
senseless. 

"  We've  struck  a  boy !  "  shouted  a  man  on  the 
lighter,  and  then  rushed  forward  with  a  boathook. 
As  soon  as  he  caught  sight  of  Dick  he  fished  the 
youth  from  the  water  and  hurried  ashore  with 
him. 

The  shock  had  not  been  a  heavy  one,  but  the 
lad  was  weak  from  swimming  with  his  clothes  on, 
and  he  lay  like  a  log  on  the  flooring  of  the  dock. 
This  alarmed  the  men  from  the  lighter,  and  they 
hastily  carried  him  to  a  nearby  drug  store  and 
summoned  a  doctor.  From  the  drug  store  he  was 
removed  to  the  hospital. 

When  he  was  strong  enough  to  go  about  his 
business  he  found  it  was  night.  Yet  he  lost  no 


WHAT   THE  LAME  MAN  KNEW.  IS  I 

time  in  making  his  way  to  the  docks,  on  a  search 
for  his  brothers. 

The  search  was,  of  course,  useless,  and  much 
depressed  in  spirits  he  found  himself,  at  sunrise, 
on  the  waterfront,  seated  on  the  stringpiece  of 
one  of  the  long  piers. 

"  They  must  have  either  been  captured  or 
drowned,"  he  mused  dismally.  "  And  the  Pea 
cock  is  gone,  too.  What  shall  I  do  next  ?  " 

It  was  far  from  an  easy  question  to  answer, 
and  he  sat  motionless  for  the  best  part  of  half 
an  hour,  reviewing  the  situation.  Then  he 
leaped  up. 

"  I  must  get  the  authorities  to  aid  me,"  he 
thought.  "  I  should  have  done  this  before." 

He  walked  along  the  docks  until  he  came  to  a 
street  leading  to  the  nearest  police  station.  He 
now  realized  that  he  was  hungry,  but  resolved  to 
postpone  eating  until  he  had  put  the  authorities 
on  the  track  of  the  evildoers. 

As  he  was  turning  a  corner  he  almost  ran  into 
a  colored  man  going  in  the  opposite  direction. 
The  colored  man  stared  at  him,  then  let  out  a  wild 
cry  of  delight. 

^"Massah  Dick,  or  is  I  dreamin'  ?  " 

"  Aleck,  by  all  that's  wonderful !  Where  did 
you  come  from  ?  " 

"From   de  yacht,   ob  course,   Massah  Dick 


122     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

But — but — dis  knocks  dis  niggah,  suah!  I  dun 
fink  yo'  was  on  dat  udder  ship." 

"  I  was  on  it,  but  I  escaped  yesterday,  while  the 
schooner  lay  in  the  river  yonder." 

"  An'  where  am  Tom  and  Sam,  sah  ?  " 

"  That  I  don't  know.  They  left  the  vessel  with 
me,  but  we  became  separated  in  the  water." 

"  Perhaps  da  dun  been  cotched  ag'in,"  and 
Pop's  face  took  on  a  sober  look. 

"  That  is  what  I  am  afraid  of." 

"  Didn't  see  nuffin  ob  'em  nowhere  ?  " 

"  No.  I  was  hit  by  a  lighter .  and  knocked 
senseless." 

"  Whar's  dat  dar  Peacock?" 

"  Gone,  too." 

"  Wot  you'  spects  to  do?  " 

"  I  was  going  to  inform  the  authorities.  Wt 
jnust  find  Tom  and  Sam." 

"  Dat's  right,  sah." 

"  Where  is  the  Swallow?  " 

"  Tied  up  jest  below  heah,  sah,  Dat  dar  Luke 
Peterson  is  a-sailin'  ob  her  wid  me." 

"  Good.  Perhaps  he  can  help  us  in  the  search. 
He  knows  these  waters  well,  so  he  told  me." 

Together  the  pair  made  their  way  to  the  police 
station,  where  they  told  their  stories  to  the  officer 
in  charge. 

An  alarm  was  at  once  sent  out,  and  the  river 


WHAT   THE  LAME  MAN  KNEW.  I«$ 

police  were  set  to  work  to  learn  what  had  become 
of  the  Peacock  and  her  crew. 

But  all  this  took  time,  and  it  was  past  noon 
when  word  came  in  that  the  schooner  had  been 
seen  moving  up  Lake  St.  Clair  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  day  before. 

Then  word  was  telegraphed  to  Port  Huron  to 
stop  the  craft,  and  on  his  own  responsibility  Dick 
offered  a  reward  of  one  hundred  dollars  for  the 
capture  of  ship  and  master. 

But  all  this  came  too  late.  Losing  no  time, 
Captain  Lang-less  had  had  his  craft  towed  to  a 
point  fifteen  miles  beyond  Port  Huron,  and  had 
then  let  the  tug  go,  and  steered  a  course  known 
only  to  those  on  board. 

The  tug  did  not  return  to  Port  Huron  until  the 
next  day,  and  its  captain  did  not  know  how  much 
the  Peacock  was  wanted  until  twenty-four  hours 
later.  Thus  the  schooner  obtained  a  free  and 
clear  stlrt  of  thirty-six  hours  over  those  who 
were  in  pursuit. 

"  We  are  stumped,"  groaned  Dick,  when  word 
came  buck  from  Port  Huron  that  the  Peacock 
had  passed  that  point  long  before.  "  That 
schooner  now  has  the  whole  of  Lake  Huron  be 
fore  her,  and  there  is  no  telling  where  she  will  go. 
Perhaps  the  Baxters  will  land  in  Canada." 

*'  I  don't  think  so,"  answered  Luke  Peterson, 


J*4     ROVER  BOYS   ON    THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  American  vessels  coming  in-shore  are  closely 
watched,  you  know,  on  account  of  the  smuggling 
that  is  carried  on." 

"  Then  the  smugglers  between  the  United 
States  and  Canada  are  still  at  work." 

"  Indeed  they  are,  more  so  than  the  average 
American  has  any  idea  of.  I  used  to  be  in  the 
customs  service,  and  I  know." 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  Captain  Langless  will 
goto?" 

"  Ah,  that's  a  question,  Rover.  The  lake  is 
over  two  hundred  miles  long,  and  I've  heard  tell 
that  there  are  over  twenty-five  hundred  islands, 
large  and  small.  That's  a  pretty  good  place  for 
a  ship  to  hide  in,  eh  ?  " 

"  And  you  reckon  the  Peacock  will  go  into  hid 
ing?" 

"  More  than  likely,  while  these  Baxters  carry 
out  their  little  game — that  is,  providing  your 
brothers  are  on  board — and  I  fancy  they  are.  I 
can  tell  ye,  I  fancy  they  are  a  tough  crowd  all 
around." 

"  Well,  one  comfort,  the  Peacock  won't  get 
very  far  anywhere  along  shore  without  being 
spotted,  for  the  police  have  sent  the  news  to  all 
principal  places." 

"  Well,  that's  a  good  plan.  Now  if  we  coul<* 
€nly  follow  that  schooner  up " 


WHAT  THE  LAME  MAN  KNEW  125 

"  Will  you  go  with  me  in  a  hunt  ?  I  will  will 
ingly  pay  you  for  your  services." 

"  I  will.  But  we  ought  to  have  a  steam  tug 
instead  of  a  yacht." 

"  I  will  charter  one.  I  have  already  tele 
graphed  to  my  father  for  the  necessary  funds," 
returned  Dick,  and  he  told  the  truth.  The  long 
telegram  had  gone  an  hour  before.  He  had  also 
sent  word  to  Larry  Colby,  telling  of  the  turn  of 
affairs. 

The  telegram  to  Mr.  Rover  brought  a  charac 
teristic  reply,  running  as  follows : 

"•  I  send  you  the  money  you  want.  Be  careful 
and  keep  out  of  danger.  Will  come  on  by  the 
first  train." 

The  message  to  Larry  Colby  brought  that  stu 
dent  up  to  Detroit  oh  the  first  train  from  San- 
dusky. 

"  I  know  just  the  steam  tug  you  want,"  said 
Larry,  when  the  situation  was  explained.  "It  is 
mn  by  old  Jack  Parsons,  who  knows  my  father 
well.  I  know  he  will  do  all  he  can  for  you,  if  he 
is  paid  for  his  time." 

Larry  Colby  undertook  to  hunt  up  the  tug, 
which  was  named  the  Rocket,  and  found  her  tied 
tip  at  one  of  the  city  docks.  He  introduced  Dick, 


126     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

and  before  the  hour  was  out  a  bargain  was  struck 
with  Jack  Parsons  which  was  satisfactory  all 
around.  Parsons  knew  Luke  Peterson,  and  said 
he  would  be  glad  to  have  the  lumberman  along 
on  the  hunt. 

"  He  knows  this  lake  as  well  as  I  do,  and  be 
tween  us  we  ought  to  find  the  Peacock,  sooner  or 
later,"  said  Parsons.  He  had  heard  about  the 
raft  disaster  on  Lake  Erie,  and  was  pleased  to  be 
able  to  inform  Peterson  that  his  friend  Bragin 
was  safe.  The  tug,  however,  which  had  been 
towing  the  raft,  was  laid  up  in  Buffalo  for 
repairs. 

At  first  Dick  thought  to  remain  in  Detroit  until 
his  father's  arrival,  but  then  he  realized  that  it 
would  be  best  for  one  of  them  to  remain  on  shore 
while  the  other  went  on  the  hunt  on  the  lake. 

"  WTe  will  sail  at  once,"  he  said  to  his  com 
panions,  but  this  cculd  hot  be,  since  Aleck  had 
not  yet  provided  all  of  the  necessary  provisions 
for  the  trip. 

While  the  colored  man  was  completing  his  ar 
rangements  a  newsboy  came  to  Dick  with  a  note, 
running  as  follows : 

"  If  you  want  news  of  the  Peacock,  and  will 
promise  not  to  harm  me,  come  with  the  boy  to  the 
old  grain  elevator.  The  bo>  knows  the  place." 


WHAT   THE  LAKE  MAN  KNEW  127 

Dick  read  the  note  with  interest,  and  then 
showed  it  to  Peterson. 

"  Perhaps  it's  a  trap,"  said  the  lumberman. 
"  I  wouldn't  go  alone,  if  I  were  you." 

"  I  will  go,"  answered  Dick,  "  but  I  wish  you 
would  follow  me  up  on  the  quiet,"  and  so  it  was 
arranged. 

When  Dick  reached  the  place  mentioned  he 
found  it  practically  deserted. 

"  Who  gave  you  that  note?  "  he  asked  of  the 
newsboy. 

"  A  man.     Here  he  comes,  now." 

The  newcomer  proved  to  be  a  lame  man,  who 
had  in  former  years  been  a  sailor.  He  lived  in  a 
shanty  behind  the  grain  elevator,  and  he  came  to 
Dick  with  difficulty. 

"  Come  into  my  shanty  and  I'll  tell  you  what  I 
know,"  said  the  lame  man.  "  I'M  not  hurt  you, 
so  don't  be  afraid,"  and  he  hobbled  off  again. 

Waving  his  hand  to  Peterson,  who  was  in  the 
distance,  Dick  followed  the  lame  man  and  sat 
down  on  a  bench  in  front  of  the  shanty,  the  odd 
individual  seating  himself  on  a  stool  opposite. 

"Want  to  find  Captain  Gus  Langless,  eh?" 
said  the  lame  man,  closing  one  eye  suggestively. 

"  Yes." 

"  I  read  of  the  case  in  the  papers.  He's  a  bad 
un,eh?" 


120     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  What  do  you  know  of  the  case?  "  demanded 
Dick  impatiently.  He  realized  that  he  had  a  de 
cidedly  queer  individual  with  whom  to  deal. 

"  Know  everything;  yes,  sir,  everything.  Jock 
Pelly  don't  keep  his  ears  open  for  nothing,  not  me. 
An'  I  said  to  myself  when  I  read  the  papers, 
'Jock,  you've  learned  something  of  value — you 
must  sell  the  news,'  says  I  to  myself." 

"  But  what  do  you  know  ?  " 

"  Gettin'  to  that,  sir;  gettin'  there  fast,  too. 
Did  you  offer  a  reward  of  a  hundred  dollars?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Who's  going  to  pay  that  amount  ?  It's  a  pile 
of  money,  a  hundred  dollars  is." 

"  It  will  be  paid,  you  can  be  easy  on  that  point." 

"  Well,  supposin'  a  man  is  lame  and  can't  go 
after  those  rascals  ?  What  does  he  git  for  puttin' 
somebody  on  the  track  ?  " 

"  If  you  put  me  on  the  right  track,  I'll  give  you 
fifty  dollars." 

"Dead  certain?" 

"  Yes.    Now  where  has  the  Peacock  gone  to  ?  " 

"  Needle  Point  Island,"  was  the  abrupt  answer. 
"  Go  there,  an'  you'll  find  the  Peacock  and  her 
crew,  sure." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

OFF    FOR   NEEDLE    POINT    ISLAND. 
\ 

"  NEEDLE  POINT  ISLAND  ?  "  repeated  Dick. 

"  Exactly,  sir — Needle  Point  Island.  Most  of 
the  lake  pilots  know  it." 

"  How  far  is  it  from  here?  " 

"  About  sixty  miles." 

"  And  how  do  you  know  the  Peacock  has  gone 
there?" 

"  Overheard  Captain  Langless  talking  about  it, 
yes,  sir — overheard  him  talking  to  a  man  named 
Baxter  and  a  man  named  Grimsby — he  as  used 
to  be  a  smuggler.  Langless  used  to  be  in  with 
Grimsby,  although  few  know  o'  that.  They 
talked  a  lot,  but  that  wouldn't  interest  you.  But 
the  fact  that  they  are  goin'  to  Needle  Point  Island 
interests  you,  eh  ?  " 

"  When  did  you  hear  this  talk?  " 

"  The  morning  you  escaped  from  the  schooner, 
accordin'  to  the  newspaper." 

"  Where  did  you  hear  it?  " 

"  Up  on  the  other  side  of  the  elevator.  The 
men  came  out  of  one  o'  the  saloons  to  talk  it  over." 

129 


ISO     HOVER  BOYS  ON   THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

A  long  conversation  followed,  and  Dick  becamfe 
more  than  half  convinced  that  what  Jock  Pelly 
had  to  relate  was  true. 

The  man  described  the  Baxters  clearly,  show 
ing  that  he  had  really  seen  the  pair,  and  also  de 
scribed  Captain  Langless'  appearance  on  the 
morning  in  question. 

"  I  will  follow  up  this  clew,"  Dick  said,  when 
ready  to  depart. 

Jock  Pelly  caught  the  youth  by  the  arm. 

"Hold  on!" 

"  What  do  you  want  now  ?  " 

"  My  reward.     Don't  I  get  that  fifty  dollars?  " 

"  You  do,  if  I  catch  the  captain  and  his 
schooner." 

"  That  aint  fair — I  ought  to  have  the  money 
how." 

"  I  must  prove  what  you  have  told  me  first 
You  may  be  all  wrong  in  your  suppositions." 

Jock  Felly's  face  fell. 

"  'Taint  fair — I  ought  to  have  the  money  now. 
Maybe  you  won't  ever  come  back." 

"  Don't  alarm  yourself,  my  man.  If  the  in 
formation  is  of  real  value,  you'll  get  paid  for  it 
Here  is  something  on  account." 

Dick  slipped  a  five-dollar  bill  into  the  old  man's 
hand,  at  which  Jock  Felly's  face  relaxed.  A  few 
minutes  later  the  elder  Rover  had  joined  Luke 


OFF  FOR  NEEDLE  POINT  ISLAND.         131 

Peterson  and  was  telling  the  lumberman  what  he 
had  heard. 

"  Needle  Point  Island !  "  exclaimed  Peterson. 
"  Yes,  I  know  the  spot.  Years  ago  it  was  a  great 
rtanging-out  place  for  smugglers.  But  our 
government  cleaned  out  the  nest." 

"  Then  it  is  likely  that  this  man  told  the  truth  ?" 

"  I  don't  know  as  Captain  Langless  could  find 
a  better  hiding  place.  The  island  is  in  the  shape 
of  a  five-leaf  clover,  and  the  bays  are  all  sur 
rounded  with  tall  trees  and  bushes,  so  that  a  ves 
sel  could  be  hidden  there  without  half  trying. 
Besides  that,  the  island  is  a  rough  one,  full  of 
caves  and  openings,  and  that  would  just  suit  a 
crowd  holding  those  boys  prisoners." 

When  the  pair  reached  the  Rocket  a  consulta 
tion  was  held,  and  it  was  decided  to  start  for 
Needle  Point  Island  on  the  following  morning. 
Jack  Parsons  said  it  would  take  from  five  to  six 
hours  to  reach  the  locality. 

Now  that  Dick  had  received  what  he  thought 
was  definite  information,  he  was  anxious  to  go  to 
•the  island  that  had  been  mentioned,  consequently 
;the  night  proved  a  long  and  sleepless  one  to  him. 
He  awaited  further  news  from  his  father,  but 
none  came. 

But  information  did  come  which  disturbed  him 
not  a  little.  He  was  speaking  to  Larry  before 


13*      ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

retiring,  and  from  one  thing  to  another  the  conver 
sation  drifted  around  to  Mrs.  Stanhope,  the  widow 
who  lived  near  Putnam  Hall,  and  her  pretty 
daughter  Dora.  As  old  readers  know  Dick  was 
tremendously  interested  in  pretty  Dora,  and  had 
done  much  to  keep  her  from  harm. 

"  Before  I  came  on,  I  heard  that  the  Stanhopes 
had  started  on  a  trip  for  the  lakes,"  said  Larry. 
"  They  left  Cedarville  secretly,  and  I  got  the  news 
quite  by  accident  from  Frank  Harrington,  who 
happened  to  see  them  off." 

"  I  knew  they  were  going,  sooner  or  later,"  re 
plied  Dick.  "  Mrs.  Stanhope  was  rather  ill,  as 
you  know,  and  needed  a  change  of  some  sort." 

"  I  was  wondering  if  she  didn't  want  to  get  out 
of  the  way  of  Josiah  Crabtree,  who  is  just  out  of 
prison,"  continued  Larry.  "  Oh,  but  wasn't  he 
a  slick  one  for  getting  around  the  widow — when 
he  learned  she  was  holding  all  that  money  in  trust 
lor  Dora." 

"  He's  something  of  a  hypnotist,  Larry — that 
is  why  Dora  fears  him.  She  is  afraid  he  will 
hypnotize  her  mother  into  doing  something  she 
will  be  sorry  for  afterward." 

"  Do  you  really  suppose  he  has  so  much  influ 
ence  as  that  ?  " 

"  He  has  when  Mrs.  Stanhope  is  not  feeling 
well.  The  stronger  she  is,  the  less  he  seems  to 


OFF  FOR  NEEDLE  POINT  ISLAND.          133 

affect  her.  By  the  way,  have  you  heard  from  old 
Crabtree  since  he  was  let  out  of  jail?  " 

"  Yes;  some  of  us  boys  met  him  at  Ithaca  one 
Saturday.  We  started  to  have  a  little  fun  with 
him,  asking  him  why  he  didn't  come  back  to  the 
Hall  and  ask  Captain  Putnam  for  another  posi 
tion,  and  how  he  liked  live  crabs  in  his  bed.  But 
he  flew  in  a  rage  and  threatened  to  have  us  all 
arrested  if  we  didn't  clear  out,  so  we  had  to  drop 
it.  But  I'll  tell  you  one  thing,  Dick;  I'll  wager 
Crabtree's  up  to  no  good." 

"  Oh !  he  might  possibly  turn  over  a  new  leaf." 

"  Not  he;  it  isn't  in  him.  He  was  always  a 
sneak,  like  Baxter,  only  a  bit  more  high-toned, 
outwardly." 

"  I  am  anxious  to  know  if  he  is  aware  where 
the  Stanhopes  have  gone  to  ?  " 

"  I  think  he  could  find  out  if  he  tried  hard. 
They  made  a  mistake  that  they  didn't  go  traveling 
before  he  got  out  of  jail." 

"  They  couldn't  go,  on  account  of  Mrs.  Stan 
hope's  health.  She  had  a  relapse  just  about  the 
time  Crabtree's  term  was  up.  But  he  had  better 
not  bother  them  again,  or " 

"Or  what,  Dick?  Will  you  get  after  him 
again  ?  " 

"  I  will  if  I  can,  and  I'll  send  him  to  jail  for  the 
rest  of  his  life." 


134     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE  GREAT  LAKES, 

The  Rocket  was  to  sail  at  six  in  the  morning, 
and  long-  before  that  time  Dick  and  Larry,  with 
the  others,  were  on  board.  Jack  Parsons  reached 
the  tug  at  the  last  moment,  having  had  some  pri 
vate  business  which  required  his  attention. 

The  day  was  fair,  with  a  stiff  breeze  blowing, 
which  was  good  for  the  Peacock,  as  Dick  ob 
served,  if  she  was  still  sailing  the  waters  of  the 
lake. 

Jack  Parsons  knew  Needle  Point  Island  as  well 
as  did  Luke  Peterson,  and  the  former  said  he  had 
stopped  at  the  place  only  a  few  months  before. 

"  I  thought  it  was  deserted,"  ho-  said.  "  The 
old  cave  the  smugglers  used  to  use  was  tumbled 
in  and  overgrown  with  brush." 

The  run  to  Port  Huron  occurred  without  inci 
dent,  and  a  little  while  later  the  Rocket  was  steam 
ing  merrily  over  the  clear  waters  0f  Lake  Huron. 

Had  it  not  been  for  his  anxiety  concerning  his 
two  brothers,  Dick  would  have  enjoyed  the  scene 
very  much.  The  Rocket  was  a  fine  tug,  and  cut 
the  water  like  a  thing  of  life.  She  carried  a  crew 
of  five,  all  young  and  active  fellows.  This  made 
the  party  eight,  all  told,  and  as  Dick  and  his 
friends  were  armed  and  the  tug  boasted  of  several 
pistols,  a  gun,  and  a  small  cannon,  those  on  board 
felt  themselves  able  to  cope  with  the  enemy,  no 
matter  what  occurred. 


OFF  FOR  NEEDLE  POIN1    ISLAND.          135 

"  We  can't  get  there  any  too  soon  for  me,"  said 
Dick  to  Luke  Peterson.  "  There  is  no  telling 
how  cruelly  Sam  and  Tom  are  being  treated,  now 
that  they  made  the  attempt  to  run  away." 

"  I  hope  your  father  doesn't  give  the  rascals  any 
money  before  we  have  a  chance  to  catch  them," 
returned  the  lumberman. 

"  I  think  he  will  wait  to  hear  from  me,  after  he 
reads  the  letter  I  left  for  him  at  Detroit.  He  is 
as  down  on  the  Baxters  as  I  am." 

"  When  we  come  in  sight  of  the  island  we'll 
have  to  move  with  caution,"  went  on  the  lumber 
man.  "  If  we  don't,  Captain  Langless  may  lay 
low  and  give  us  the  slip  in  the  dark." 

"  Are  there  any  other  islands  close  to  Needle 
Point?" 

"  A  dozen  of  them,  and  some  with  just  as  good 
hiding  places,  too.  That's  why  the  smugglers 
used  to  hang  out  in  that  locality.  They  are  ideal 
places  for  smugglers'  caves  and  the  like,  I  can  tell 
ye  that,"  and  Luke  Peterson  nodded  his  head 
sagaciously. 

At  noon  Parsons  announced  that  they  were 
within  three  miles  of  Needle  Point  Island.  Din 
ner  was  ready,  but  it  must  be  confessed  that  Dick 
was  almost  too  excited  to  eat.  Half  a  dozen  ves 
sels  had  thus  far  been  sighted,  but  not  one  which 
looked  like  the  Peacock. 


I3<>     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

He  was  finishing  up  a  hasty  repast  when  a  cry 
came  from  the  deck. 

"  Needle  Point  Island  is  in  sight !  "  announced 
the  lookout,  and  a  moment  later  he  added :  "  A 
schooner  bearing  away  to  the  bay  on  the  east 
end!" 

"It  must  be  the  Peacock!"  ejaculated  Dick, 
and  rushed  to  the  deck  to  learn  the  truth. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A    CAVE    AND   A    SNAKE. 

"  Now  we  are  in  for  it,  Sam.  They  won't 
.give  us  a  second  chance  to  escape." 

A  groan  was  the  answer,  coming  from  out  of 
the  darkness  of  the  hold  of  the  Peacock.  Sam 
was  too  much  stunned  and  bruised  to  reply  to  the 
words  from  his  brother. 

The  two  boys  had  been  hustled  on  board  of  the 
schooner  with  scant  ceremony,  and  now  they 
found  themselves  bound  and  handcuffed,  so  that 
it  was  next  to  impossible  for  either  of  them  to 
move.  Hour  after  hour  had  passed,  yet  nobody 
had  come  near  them. 

"  I  reckon  they  are  going  to  starve  us  to  death 
for  what  we  did,"  went  on  Tom,  after  a  long 
pause. 

"  If  only  I  had  a  drink  of  water,"  came  at  last 
from  his  younger  brother.  "  My  mouth  is  as  dry 
as  a  chip,  and  I  seem  to  have  a  regular  fever." 

"  Make  the  best  of  it,  Sam,"  returned  Tom 
soothingly.  "  This  state  of  things  can't  last  i'or- 
ever.  If  they Oh !  " 

137 


138     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

The  schooner  had  suddenly  tacked  in  the  strong 
wind,  and  the  bowling  over  of  the  empty  craft 
had  caused  Tom  to  take  a  long  roll.  He  struck 
up  against  his  brother,  and  the  pair  went  sliding 
to  the  end  of  the  hold,  to  hit  a  jug  of  water  which 
had  been  left  there  in  the  darkness. 

"  Hurrah,  some  water!  "  cried  Tom,  as  some  of 
the  fluid  splashed  over  his  hand.  But,  alas !  how 
were  they  to  get  at  what  was  left  of  the  contents 
of  the  jug,  with  their  hands  tied  behind  them? 

But  time  was  no  object,  and  at  last  they  solved 
the  problem.  At  first  Tom  backed  up  to  the  jug 
and  held  it,  though  clumsily,  for  Sam  to  drink, 
and  then  the  youngest  Rover  did  the  same  for  his 
brother.  The  water  was  warm  and  somewhat 
stale,  yet  both  could  remember  nothing  which 
had  ever  tasted  sweeter  to  them.  They  drank 
about  half  of  what  the  jug  contained,  then  set 
the  rest  carefully  away  for  future  use. 

The  Peacock  was  bowling  along  at  a  speed  of 
seven  or  eight  knots  an  hour,  and  the  creaking  of 
the  blocks  attested  the  fact  that  Captain  Lang- 
less  was  making  every  effort  to  reach  his  destina 
tion  as  soon  as  possible. 

Once  the  boys  heard  somebody  at  the  forward 
hatchway,  and  presently  the  hatch  was  lifted  for 
a  few  inches. 

"  Hope   you    are   enjoying   yourselves    down 


A    CAVE  AND  A    SNAKE  139 

there,"  came  in  the  sarcastic  tones  of  Dan  Bax 
ter.  To  this  they  made  no  answer,  and  the  hatch 
was  closed  as  quickly  as  it  had  been  opened. 

"  The  brute,"  muttered  Tom.  "  I'd  give  a 
good  deal  to  be  able  to  punch  his  nose !  " 

"  He  evidently  thinks  himself  on  top  to  stay," 
came  from  Sam,  who  had  propped  himself  up 
against  an  empty  cask.  "  Oh,  if  only  we  knew 
what  had  become  of  Dick !  "  he  went  on. 

"  Dick  must  have  escaped.  I  don't  see  how  it 
could  be  otherwise." 

"  But  if  he  did,  why  didn't  he  notify  the  au 
thorities?  " 

"  The  Peacock  must  have  given  the  river  police 
the  slip;  that's  the  only  answer  I  can  make, 
Sam." 

"  But  they  could  have  telegraphed  to  different 
points." 

"  Well,  I  can't  make  it  out,  and  we'll  have  to 
take  what  comes." 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  we  are  bound?  " 

"  I  haven't  the  least  idea." 

Hour  after  hour  went  by,  and  still  nobody  came 
to  them.  It  did,  indeed,  look  as  if  they  were  to 
be  starved  to  death.  But  just  as  Sam  was  almost 
fainting  for  the  want  of  food,  the  door  to  the 
cabin  passageway  was  flung  open,  and  Captain 
Langless  appeared  with  a  lantern,  followed  by 


14°     HOVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

Arnold  Baxter,  who  carried  a  tray  containing  a 
plate  of  bread  and  two  bowls  of  beef  stew. 

"  Hungry,  I'll  wager,"  said  the  captain  laconic 
ally.  All  the  pleasantness  he  had  previously  ex 
hibited  had  vanished. 

"  You  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourselves  to 
let  us  starve  so  long,"  replied  Tom,  who  never 
hesitated  to  speak  his  mind. 

"  Hi !  don't  talk  that  way,  or  you  shall  have 
nothing,"  cried  Arnold  Baxter.  "  We  are  mas 
ters,  and  you  must  understand  it  so." 

The  captain  set  down  the  lantern  and  released 
the  right  hand  of  each  of  the  prisoners.  Then  the 
tray  was  set  upon  an  upturned  box,  and  they  were 
told  to  eat  what  they  wanted,  the  captain  and 
Arnold  Baxter  sitting  down  to  watch  them. 

There  was  no  use  to  "  stand  upon  theii- 
dignity,"  as  Tom  afterward  expressed  it,  so  they 
fell  to  without  protest,  and  it  must  be  confessed 
that  the  stew  was  just  what  their  stomachs,  in  that 
weakened  state,  needed.  It  did  not  take  long  to 
get  away  with  the  larger  portion  of  the  bread  and 
all  of  what  the  bowls  contained. 

'  You  can  thank  your  stars  that  you  got 
meal,"  said  Arnold  Baxter.  "  You  don't  de 
serve  it." 

"  According  to  you,  I  suppose  we  don't  deserve 
anything  but  abuse,"  replied  Tom.  "  But,  never 


A    CAVE  AND  A    SNAKE.  I4« 

mind,  Arnold  Baxter;  remember  the  old  saying, 
'  He  laughs  best  who  laughs  last.' ' 

"  I'm  not  here  to  listen  to  your  back  talk," 
growled  Arnold  Baxter.  "  Come,  captain,  let  us 
be  going,"  and  he  arose. 

"  You've  brought  this  treatment  on  your 
selves,"  said  the  captain,  with  a  shrewd  look  into 
the  boys'  faces.  "  I  was  of  a  mind  to  treat  you 
kindly  before.  You  know  that." 

"  Come,"  insisted  Arnold  Baxter,  and  caught 
the  captain  by  the  arm.  "  Don't  waste  words  on 
them.  There  will  be  time  enough  to  talk  when 
we  reach  the  island."  And  then  the  two  walked 
off,  closing  and  locking  the  passageway  door  after 
them. 

"The  island?"  repeated  Sam.  "Then  they 
intend  to  take  us  to  some  lonely  island, 
Tom!" 

"  I  wouldn't  be  surprised.  I've  noticed  by  the 
shafts  of  light  coming  through  the  cracks  over 
head  that  we  are  sailing  northward.  We  must  be 
in  Lake  Huron  by  this  time." 

"  One  satisfaction,  they  left  our  right  hands 
free,"  continued  the  youngest  Rover.  "  And  I 
must  say  that  stew  just  touched  the  spot." 

Again  the  hours  drifted  slowly  by.  The  boys 
had  really  lost  all  track  of  time.  They  dozed  off 
and  did  not  awaken  until  some  time  later. 


142     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

Whether  they  had  slept  through  a  night  or  not 
they  did  not  know. 

Presently  they  heard  the  sails  being  lowered 
and  an  anchor  go  overboard.  Then  a  boat  put  off 
from  the  Peacock,  and  for  a  while  all  became 
silent. 

"  We  must  be  close  to  some  landing,"  was 
Tom's  comment.  "  Perhaps  it's  the  island  old 
Baxter  mentioned." 

Another  half  hour  slipped  by.  Then  the  door 
to  the  cabin  was  opened,  and  both  Baxters,  Cap 
tain  Langless,  and  the  mate  of  the  schooner  ap 
peared. 

"  Get  up,"  ordered  the  captain,  and  when  they 
arose  he  saw  to  it  that  their  lower  limbs  were  re 
leased,  but  that  their  hands  were  bound  more 
tightly  behind  them  than  ever. 

"  We  are  going  ashore,"  said  Arnold  Baxter. 
"  Remember  we  want  no  treachery  nor  any  at 
tempt  to  run  away.  If  you  try  either,  somebody 
will  get  shot." 

With  this  caution  they  were  marched  into  the 
cabin  and  then  on  deck.  At  first  the  strong  light 
blinded  them,  but  soon  they  became  accustomed 
to  this,  and  made  out  a  small  bay  just  ahead,  sur 
rounded  by  cedar  trees  and  various  bushes.  Back 
of  the  trees  was  a  hill,  and  off  to  the  southward  a 
rocky  elevation  ending  in  a  needle-like  point.  It 


A    CAVE   AND  A    SNAKE.  143 

was  this  elevation  which  gave  to  the  island  the 
name  of  Needle  Point.  By  the  Indians  of  days 
gone  by  the  island  was  called  Arrow  Head. 

A  rowboat  was  in  waiting  beside  the  Peacock, 
and  into  this  the  prisoners  were  placed.  The1 
captain  of  the  schooner  and  the  Baxters  also  went 
along,  and  soon  the  rowboat  had  passed  over  the 
waters  of  the  little  bay  and  grounded  on  a  bit  of 
shelving  beach. 

"  Now  we'll  go  ashore,"  said  Captain  Langless, 
and  glad  enough  for  the  change,  Tom  and  Sam 
leaped  upon  the  beach.  The  others  followed,  and 
tying  up  the  boat,  the  master  of  the  Peacock  led 
the  way  through  the  trees  and  brush  to  the  hill 
previously  mentioned.  Here  there  was  a  slight 
path,  winding  in  and  out  among  a  series  of  rocks. 

"Where  are  you  going  to  take  us?"  said 
Tom. 

"  You'll  find  out  soon  enough,"  returned  Ar 
nold  Baxter.  "  March." 

"  Supposing  I  refuse?  " 

"  We'll  knock  you  down  and  drag  you  along," 
put  in  Dan  Baxter,  anxious  to  say  something. 

"  You  had  better  come  along  quietly,"  said  Cap 
tain  Langless.  "  To  kick  will  only  make  you 
worse  off." 

The  march  was  resumed,  and  now  they  dove 
straight  into  the  interior  of  the  island,  which  was 


144     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

about  a  mile  and  a  half  long  and  half  as  wide.  At 
some  points  the  path  was  choked  with  weeds  and 
trailing  vines,  and  they  progressed  with  difficulty. 

It  must  be  admitted  that  Tom  and  Sam  were 
very  uneasy.  They  had  felt  that  the  authorities 
might  follow  the  Peacock,  but  how  would  any 
body  ever  discover  them  in  such  a  lonely  place  as 
this  ?  But  there  was  no  help  for  it,  and  on  they 
went  until  Captain  Langless  called  a  sudden  halt. 

They  had  gained  a  cliff  running  out  from  one 
end  of  the  hill.  The  rocks  arose  in  a  sheer  wall, 
thirty  or  more  feet  in  height.  At  the  base  were  a 
spring  and  a  small  pool  of  water.  To  the  left  of 
the  spring  was  a  cave-like  opening,  partly  choked 
with  brushwood. 

"  Here  we  are,"  said  the  captain.  "  Watch 
them." 

He  moved  toward  the  opening  and  soon  had  a 
portion  of  the  brushwood  torn  aside.  Then  he  lit 
a  lantern  he  had  brought  aJong  and  disappeared 
into  the  opening. 

He  had  scarcely  passed  from  view  when  he  let 
out  a  yell  of  fright. 

"  A  snake !     Look  out  for  him !  " 

The  words  just  reached  the  ears  of  Sam  and 
Tom  when  the  reptile  appeared.  He  was  all  of 
five  feet  long  and  as  thick  as  a  man's  wrist. 

"  A  snake !  "  screamed  Dan  Baxter,  and  took  to 


A    CAVE  AND  A,  SNAKE.  145 

his  beds  without  waiting  to  see  what  the  creature 
might  do. 

Arnold  Baxter  was  less  frightened,  and  snatch 
ing  a  pistol  from  his  pocket,  he  took  hasty  aim  and 
fired.  But  his  aim  was  poor,  and  the  bullet  flew 
wide  of  its  mark. 

The  snake  was  a  dangerous  one,  and  very  much 
shot,  and  came  straight  for  Tom  and  Sam.  An 
instant  later  the  savage  reptile  was  coiling  itself 
around  the  youngest  Rover's  left  leg ! 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

COFFEE    FOR    THREE. 

THE  situation  was  one  which  demanded  in 
stant  action. 

The  snake  was  a  dangerous  one,  and  very  much 
aroused,  and  it  might  at  any  instant  do  Sam  great 
harm. 

The  poor  boy  was  speechless  and  motionless,  for 
the  reptile  had  caught  his  eye  and  held  him  as  by  a 
spell. 

It  was  Tom  who  acted.  Heedless  of  the  dan 
ger,  he  leaped  forward  and  aimed  a  kick  at  the 
snake's  head. 

The  reptile  was  caught  fairly  and  squarely,  and 
the  head  went  down  with  an  angry  hiss.  Then 
Tom  stepped  upon  it,  but  the  snake  squirmed 
loose  and  uttered  another  hiss,  louder  than  before. 

"  Take  him  off !  Take  him  off !  "  screamed  Sam, 
now  recovering  his  voice.  "  Don't  let  him  bite 
me." 

He  would  have  caught  the  snake  himself,  and 
so  would  Tom,  but  the  hands  of  both  were  still 
tied  behind  them. 


COFFEE  FOR    THREE,  147 

By  this  time  Captain  Langless  emerged  from 
the  cave,  pulling  out  a  pistol  as  he  did  so. 

Arnold  Baxter  had  not  offered  to  fire  a  second 
shot.  Now,  he  was  out  of  danger  himself, 
he  did  not  seem  to  care  what  became  of  the 
Rovers. 

Crack!  crack!  It  was  the  captain's  weapon 
which  spoke  up,  and  the  two  shots,  fired  in  rapid 
succession,  did  their  work  thoroughly.  The  first 
took  the  snake  in  the  neck  and  the  second  in  the 
head,  and  in  a  twinkle  the  long,  slippery  body  un 
wound  itself  from  Sam's  leg  and  began  to  turn 
and  twist  on  the  ground. 

"  Good  for  you !  "  gasped  Sam,  when  able  to 
speak  again.  "  Ugh !  what  an  ugly  thing !  " 
And  he  retreated  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  pool, 
along  with  Tom. 

"  He  was  a  nasty  one,"  replied  Captain  Lang- 
less,  as  he  coolly  proceeded  to  reload  his  pistol. 
"  I  might  have  killed  him  in  the  cave,  only  the 
light  was  bad." 

"Is  he — he  dead?"  came  from  behind  some 
rocks,  and  Dan  showed  a  white  face  and  trembling 
form. 

"  Yes,  he's  dead,"  answered  Arnold  Baxter. 
"  I  came  pretty  close  to  hitting  him,"  he  went  on, 
bound  to  say  something  for  himself. 

"  I — I   thought  there  was  a  whole  nest  of 


I48     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

them,"  continued  Dan.  "  If  I  had  known  there 
was  only  one,  I  would  have  stood  my  ground." 

"  Of  course — you  always  were  brave,"  an 
swered  Tom  sarcastically. 

"  See  here,  Tom  Rover,  I  don't  want  any  of 
your  back  talk,"  howled  the  bully,  his  face  turning 
red. 

"  Come,  don't  quarrel  now,"  said  Captain 
Langless,  so  sternly  that  Dan  subsided  on  the  in 
stant.  "  The  question  is,  are  there  any  more 
snakes  in  that  cave?  " 

"  Send  Dan  in  to  investigate,"  suggested  Sam, 
with  just  the  faintest  touch  of  his  old-time  light- 
heartedness. 

"Me?"  ejaculated  the  individual  mentioned. 
"  Not  me!  I  wouldn't  go  in  there  for  a  million 
dollars!" 

"  Perhaps  we  had  better  find  some  other  cave," 
said  Arnold  Baxter.  "  You  said  there  were  sev 
eral  around  here." 

"  This  is  as  good  as  any,"  answered  Captain 
Langless.  "  If  you  are  afraid,  I'll  go  in  myself," 
and  turning,  he  disappeared  once  more  into  the 
opening,  lantern  in  one  hand  and  pistol  in  the 
other. 

He  was  gone  the  best  part  of  quarter  of  an  hour, 
and  came  back  covered  with  dust  and  dirt. 

"  The  old  spot  is  pretty  well  choked  up  with 


COFFEE   FOR    THREE.  149 

rubbish,"  he  said.  "  But  there  isn't  a  sign  of  an 
other  snake  around,  nor  of  any  wild  beasts. 
Come,"  and  he  motioned  Sam  and  Tom  to  follow 
him. 

"  I  don't  think  it  fair  that  you  should  leave  us 
helpless,"  said  Tom.  "  At  least  untie  our  hands 
and  let  us  each  get  a  good  stick." 

"  So  you  can  fight  us,  eh  ?  "  cried  Arnold  Bax 
ter.  "  We  are  not  such  fools." 

"  You  have  your  pistols,"  put  in  Sam.  "  And 
what  could  we  do  on  a  lonely  island  and  without 
a  boat?" 

"  The  lads  are  right — it's  not  fair  to  leave  them 
helpless  when  there  may  be  other  danger  at  hand," 
interposed  the  captain.  "  If  I  unloosen  you,  will 
you  promise  not  to  run  away  ?  " 

"  The  promise  would  not  amount  to  anything !" 
sniffed  Dan. 

''  We  won't  run  away  for  the  present,"  said 
Tom  honestly.  "  But  you  can't  expect  me  to  re 
main  a  prisoner  here — not  if  I  can  help  myself." 

The  candor  of  the  youth  compelled  Captain 
Langless  to  laugh,  and,  taking  out  a  knife,  he  cut 
the  ropes  which  bound  the  lads'  hands. 

"  You  won't  need  sticks,  I  am  sure  of  it,"  he 
said.  "  Come,  I  will  lead,  and  you  " — nodding 
to  the  Baxters — "  can  bring  up  the  rear." 

No  more  was  said,  and  in  a  minute  more  all 


X5<>     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

were  inside  of  the  cave,  which  proved  to  be  fifteen 
feet  wide,  about  as  high,  and  at  least  two  hundred 
feet  long.  At  the  lower  end  were  a  turn  and  a 
narrow  passageway  leading  to  the  darkness  be 
yond.  The  ceiling  was  rough,  and  the  lantern  cast 
long,  dancing  shadows  over  it  as  they  advanced. 
Sam  could  not  help  but  shiver,  and  Tom  looked 
unusually  sober. 

That  the  cave  had  once  been  used  as  a  rendez 
vous  of  some  sort  was  plainly  evident.  At  the 
back  was  a  rude  fireplace,  with  a  narrow  slit  in  the 
rocks  overhead,  through  which  the  smoke  might 
ascend.  Here  were  several  half-burned  logs  of 
wood,  and  two  tumble-down  boxes  which  had  evi 
dently  done  duty  as  benches.  On  a  stick  stuck  in 
a  crack  of  the  wall  hung  an  old  overcoat,  now 
ready  to  fall  apart  from  decay. 

"  Rather  unwholesome,  I  admit,"  said  the  cap 
tain,  with  a  glance  at  the  others.  "  But  a  roaring 
fire  in  yonder  chimney-place  will  soon  alter  things. 
And  when  I've  had  one  of  the  men  bring  some 
blankets  and  stores  from  the  Peacock,  it  will  be 
fairly  comfortable." 

"Do  you  mean  to  keep  us  here?"  demanded 
Tom. 

"  We  do,"  answered  Arnold  Baxter.  "  And 
you  can  thank  your  stars  that  you  have  not  been 
taken  to  a  worse  place." 


COFFEE  FOR    T^IREE.  151 

"  It's  a  jolly  shame.  Why  don't  you  kill  us 
off  at  once,  and  be  done  with  it?  " 

"  Because  you  are  worth  more  to  us  alive  than 
dead." 

"  We  won't  live  long  if  you  keep  us  here,"  put 
in  Sam.  "  It's  enough  to  give  a  fellow  the  ague." 

"  We  will  start  a  fire  without  delay,"  said  the 
captain,  and  then,  turning  to  Arnold  Baxter,  he 
continued :  "  Can  you  find  the  way  back  to  the 
ship?" 

"  I  think  I  can,"  returned  the  other.  "  Years 
ago  I  was  used  to  tramping  the  gold  regions  of 
the  West." 

"  Then  you  had  better  go  and  tell  the  mate  to 
bring  along  that  stuff  I  mentioned  before  I  left. 
You  can  easily  carry  the  stuff  between  you.  I'll 
build  the  fire  and,  with  the  aid  of  your  son,  watch 
the  two  prisoners." 

So  it  was  arranged,  although  Arnold  Baxter 
did  not  fancy  the  task  of  carrying  stuff  to  be  used 
for  the  Rovers'  comfort.  He  left  his  pistol  with 
Dan,  who  kept  it  in  his  hand,  ready  to  shoot 
should  Sam  or  Tom  make  the  slightest  movement 
toward  getting  away. 

As  Captain  Langless  had  said,  the  fire  made  the 
cave  far  more  comfortable,  taking  away  the  feel 
ing  of  dampness  and  lighting  up  all  the  nooks  and 
corners.  From  a  distance  the  boys  heard  a  faint 


152     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

falling  of  water,  and  were  told  that  it  came  from  a 
spring  hidden  at  the  rear  passageway. 

It  was  a  good  hour  before  Arnold  Baxter  re 
turned,  lugging  a  fair-sized  bundle,  and  followed., 
by  the  mate  of  the  Peacock  with  an  even  greater') 
load.     They  had  several  blankets  and  a  basket  of 
provisions,  and  likewise  a  few  cooking  utensils. 

"  Evidently  out  for  a  stay,"  muttered  Tom,  as 
he  looked  at  the  things. 

"  They  are  for  your  use,"  was  Captain  Lang- 
less'  grim  reply.  "  After  this  I  reckon  you'll 
cook  for  yourselves." 

"  Do  you  expect  us  to  remain  in  this  cave  night 
and  day  ?  " 

"  You'll  remain  whenever  things  look  suspi 
cious  outside." 

"  Then  you'll  let  us  go  out  otherwise?  " 

"If  you  behave  yourselves." 

It  was  not  long  before  Tom  and  Sam  were  left 
in  the  cave  alone.  The  mate  of  the  schooner  was 
placed  at  the  entrance  on  guard,  armed  with  the 
captain's  own  pistol.  Then  Captain  Langless 
and  the  Baxters  withdrew,  talking  earnestly. 
Tom  and  Sam  could  not  catch  the  drift  of  the  con 
versation,  although  they  heard  the  words  "  by 
mail  "  and  "  we  must  get  the  cash  "  used  several 
times. 

"  They  are  bound  to  make  money  out  of  this 


COFFEE  FOR    THREE.  IgJ 

affair,  if  they  can,"  remarked  Tom,  when  he  and 
Sam  were  alone  once  more. 

"  I've  a  good  mind  to  knock  that  mate  down 
and  take  the  pistol  from  him,"  said  Sam. 

"And  get  shot  for  your  pains?  Besides,  if 
we  took  away  the  pistol  and  put  him  out  of  the 
fight,  what  next?  We  haven't  any  boat  to  get 
away  in." 

"  Yes,  but  I  don't  intend  to  remain  here  a  pris 
oner  forever." 

"  No  more  do  I,  but  we  can  do  nothing  just 
now.  Let  us  see  what  kind  of  a  meal  we  can 
make  out  of  the  provisions  brought  to  us." 

The  prospect  of  a  meal  brightened  up  both  lads, 
and  they  set  to  work  with  a  will,  and  soon  had 
coffee  made.  There  were  bread  and  butter  and 
some  canned  beef  and  beans,  and  they  ate  heartily. 

The  mate  sniffed  the  coffee,  and  remarked  that 
it  seemed  good. 

"  Have  a  cup,"  said  Tom  cheerily. 

"  No  funny  work,  boy,"  and  Cadmus  looked  at 
the  boys  suspiciously.  "  No  break  like  that  you 
4ried  on  me  before." 

"  No,  I  won't  run,  honor  bright,"  answered 
Tom,  and  then  the  mate  took  the  coffee  and  drank 
it  with  much  satisfaction. 

As  he  set  down  the  cup  he  gazed  fixedly  at  both 
i Tom  and  Sam  for  several  seconds.  Then  he 


154     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

drew  himself  up  as  if  he  had  come  to  some  men 
tal  decision. 

"  I've  got  a  plan  to  propose,"  he  said  slowly. 
"  Do  you  want  to  listen  or  not  ?  " 

"  What  sort  of  a  plan  ?  "  asked  both. 

"  A  plan  to  get  you  out  of  the  clutches  of  Cap 
tain  Langless  and  those  Baxters,"  was  the  answer, 
which  filled  Tom  and  Sam  with  deep  and  sudden 
interest 


CHAPTER   XIX. 

AN    ASTONISHING   DISCOVERY. 

"  ARE  you  willing  to  help  us  to  get  away  ?  "' 
cried  Sam. 

"  Under  certain  circumstances  I  am,"  replied 
the  mate  of  the  schooner.  "  Captain  Langless 
didn't  treat  me  square  after  you  got  away  from 
me,  and  Andy  Cadmus  aint  the  tar  to  forget  such 
a  thing  in  a  hurry." 

"  What  are  your  conditions  ?  "  asked  Tom. 

"  The  conditions  are  two  in  number.  In  the 
first  place,  if  I  help  you,  will  you  promise,  in  case 
the  plan  falls  through,  that  you  will  not  tell  Cap 
tain  Langless  what  I  did,  but  let  him  believe  that 
you  got  away  on  your  own  hook  ?  " 

"  We'll  promise  that  readily  enough,"  answered 
Tom,  and  Sam  nodded. 

"  In  the  second  place,  if  I  get  you  away  from 
them  and  see  you  to  a  place  of  safety,  will  you 
promise  to  help  clear  me  in  case  those  others  are 
br-iught  to  trial?" 

'  We  will,"  came  from  both. 


is6    ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Is  that  all  you  want  ?  "  continued  Tom. 

"  Almost.  But  there  is  one  other  condition  I 
forgot  to  mention." 

"I  know  what  that  is,"  said  Sam.  "It's 
money." 

"  Correct,  lad.  It's  money.  I'm  a  poor  man, 
and  what  little  I  have  is  on  board  the  Peacock. 
Your  father  is  rich.  If  I  help  you,  it  ought  to 
be  worth  something  to  him." 

"  How  much  ?  "  asked  Tom  cautiously. 

"  Well,  say  a  couple  of  hundred  dollars.  I 
won't  ask  for  too  much." 

"  You  shall  have  the  money,"  answered  Tom 
quickly,  "  on  condition  you  will  aid  us  in  bringing 
the  Baxters  to  justice." 

"  Then  it's  a  bargain,"  and  Andy  Cadmus  drew 
another  long  breath.  "  Now  for  the  details  of 
our  plan." 

The  mate  sat  down  on  a  stone  at  the  mouth  of 
the  cave  and  filled  a  pipe  with  tobacco,  lit  it,  and 
fell  to  smoking  thoughtfully. 

"  The  details  ought  to  be  simple  enough,"  said 
Tom.  "  When  you  go  back  to  the  Peacock  you 
can  take  one  of  the  small  boats,  stock  her  with 
provisions,  and  then  go  off  in  her.  Then  we  can 
join  you." 

"  It  won't  work,  unless  you  have  a  fight  with 
whoever  happens  to  be  on  guard  here — and  that 


AN  ASTONISHING  DISCOVER}  15? 

may  mean  trouble  for  you.  I  hav$  a  better 
scheme." 

"What's  that?" 

"  To-night,  when  I'm  on  watch,  I'll  st^ck  one  of 
the  small  boats  and  take  her  to  shore  and  hide  her 
in  the  bushes.  Then,  when  I'm  on  guard  again 
here,  we  can  all  cut  sticks  and  take  tu  the  little 
boat." 

"  Will  you  carry  out  the  plan  to-night  ?  "  asked 
Sam. 

"  If  I  can." 

So  it  was  arranged,  and  then  the  three  talked 
over  the  details.  Cadmus  said  it  was  a  good  ten 
miles  to  the  nearest  point  of  the  mainland,  but 
that  he  was  certain  he  could  steer  almost  a  straight 
course  thither. 

A  couple  of  hours  later  one  of  the  sailors  from 
the  Peacock  came  up,  all  out  of  breath,  and  told 
the  mate  to  return  to  the  schooner  with  all  speed. 

"  The  cap'n  wants  ye,"  he  said,  but  would  not 
explain  why. 

"  What's  the  trouble?  "  asked  Tom,  when  the 
Bailor  was  on  guard,  but  the  newcomer  refused  to 
talk  about  the  affair  further  than  to  say  that  he 
guessed  Cadmus  would  not  be  back  to  do  addi 
tional  sentinel  duty. 

"  If  that's  the  case,  our  plan  to  escape  is 
knocked  in  the  head,"  whispered  Sam,  as  he  and 


IS8     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES 

Tom  withdrew  to  the  fire.     "  Was  ever  there 
luck  before !  " 

"  I  move  we  try  to  escape  without  further  de 
lay,"  returned  Tom.  He  was  in  a  reckless  mood. 

"  Shall  we  tackle  the  guard?  " 

"  Let  us  try  a  bit  of  strategy,"  and  then  the  pair 
held  a  whispered  consultation  lasting  several 
minutes. 

Returning  to  the  mouth  of  the  cave  Tom  took 
up  his  position  at  one  side  and  Sam  on  the  other. 
Talking  of  things  in  general  at  first,  they  gradu 
ally  put  the  sailor  in  good  humor,  and  then  turned 
on  the  subject  of  snakes. 

"  That  was  a  bad  snake  we  killed,"  said  Tom. 
"  I  sincerely  hope  there  are  no  more  around  the 
cave." 

"  Snakes  are  ugly  things,"  said  the  sailor,  shak 
ing  his  head  vigorously. 

"  Ever  see  a  sea  serpent  ?  "  questioned  Sam. 

"  No.  I  reckon  there  aint  none  on  the  lakes, 
like  there  are  in  the  ocean.  I've  got  a  cousin  sails 
the  Pacific.  He's  seen  serpents  lots  o'  times — • 
on  the  shores  of  them  far-off  islands." 
'  "  I  don't  believe  a  sea  serpent  is  half  as  bad  as 
a  land  snake,"  continued  Sam.  "  Why,  that 
snake  was  enough  to  give  a  fellow  the  jim-jams, 
he  was  so  long  and  slimy,  and  had  such  a  bad  look 
in  his  blazing  eyes.  He  wound  right  around  my 


AN  ASTONISHING  DISCOVERY.  159 

leg  and  was  just  going  to  strike,  when My 

gracious !  look  at  that  snake  behind  you!  " 

Worked  up  over  what  Sam  was  relating,  and 
totally  unconscious  of  the  trick  being  played  upon 
him,  the  sailor  leaped  up  and  turned  around.  As 
he  did  this,  Tom  came  up  behind  him  swiftly  and 
pinioned  his  arms  to  his  side.  Then  Sam  rushed 
in  and  caught  hold  of  the  gun. 

"Hi,  stop!"  roared  the  sailor.  "Let  go! 
This  aint  fair  nohow !  " 

"  Keep  still,  if  you  don't  want  to  be  shot,"  an 
swered  Tom.  And  he  continued  to  hold  the  fel 
low,  while  Sam  gave  the  gun  a  dexterous  twist 
and  got  it  loose.  Then  the  youngest  Rover  aimed 
the  weapon  at  the  sailor's  head. 

"  Up  with  your  hands,"  he  said,  as  coolly  as  he 
could,  although  his  heart  was  pumping  like  mad. 

Tom  released  his  hold,  and  fearful  of  being 
shot,  the  sailor  raised  his  hands  as  commanded. 
Then  Tom  picked  up  the  ropes  still  lying  near  and 
proceeded  to  bind  the  sailor's  legs  together. 

The  fellow  wished  to  yell  for  help,  but  Tom's 
stern  glance  kept  him  silent. 

"Now  what  shall  we  do  with  him?"  asked 
Sam. 

"  Carry  him  into  the  cave,"  replied  his  brother. 
"  Somebody  else  from  the  schooner  is  bound  to 
come,  sooner  or  later,  and  release  him." 


160     &OVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

"  I  don't  want  to  go  in  with  them  snakes,"  said 
the  tar.  "  Leave  me  out  here." 

"  There  are  no  more  snakes  in  there,"  said 
Tom.  "  We'll  place  you  close  to  the  fire,  so  you'll 
be  comfortable  and  in  no  danger  of  either  snakes 
or  wild  beasts." 

With  this  the  boys  lugged  the  sailor  into  the 
cave.  They  wasted  no  time,  for  there  was  no 
telling  when  some  others  of  their  enemies  might 
put  in  an  appearance. 

"  Now  which  way?  "  asked  Sam,  when  the  pair 
were  again  outside.  "  I  wonder  how  big  this 
island  is  ?  " 

"  Big  enough  for  us  to  hide  on,  I  imagine,  Sam. 
Let  us  go  in  the  opposite  direction  to  which  we 
tame." 

They  skirted  the  cliff  and  then  plunged  into  the 
woods  beyond.  As  they  progressed  Tom  cau 
tioned  his  brother  to  keep  to  the  rocks  as  much 
as  possible,  in  order  that  the  trail  might  be 
hidden. 

It  was  still  hot,  and  before  long  the  exertion  of 
climbing  the  rocks  and  picking  their  way  through 
the  dense  underbrush  told  upon  them.  Coming 
to  the  top  of  a  small  hill,  they  halted. 

"  Let  us  climb  into  yonder  tree  and  rest,"  said 
Sam.  "  Perhaps  we  can  see  the  Peacock  from 
that  point" 


AN  ASTONISHING  DISCOVERY.  l6l 

This  seemed ,  a  good  idea,  and  they  moved  to 
the  very  top  of  the  tallest  tree  to  be  found. 

A  grand  view  lay  spread  before  their  gaze. 
Close  upon  every  side  was  the  thickly  wooded 
island,  sloping  gradually  down  to  the  lake,  and  be- 
yond,  as  far  as  eye  could  reach,  was  the  rolling 
water,  sparkling  brightly  in  the  sunlight.  To 
the  northward  Tom  discovered  a  bit  of  greenery, 
which  he  rightly  took  for  another  island. 

But  what  interested  them  most  was  the  appear 
ance  of  a  ship  riding  at  anchor  to  the  westward, 
in  one  of  the  several  bays  previously  mentioned. 
It  was  a  sailing  vessel  of  fair  size,  carrying  a 
single  mast. 

"  That's  not  the  Peacock! "  ejaculated  Sam. 

"  You're  right !  "  cried  Tom.  "  She's  a  stran 
ger.  Hurrah!  Perhaps  Dick  has  followed  us 
up,  after  all !  " 

"Anyway,  we  ought  to  find  friends  on  that 
ship,  Tom.  Let  us  get  to  her  as  soon  as  possible." 

"  I'm  willing.  But  I  must  rest  a  bit,  I'm  so 
dead  tired." 

"  I  wish  we  could  get  those  on  the  strange  ship 
to  make  the  Baxters  and  Captain  Langless  pris 
oners." 

"  Perhaps  we  can.  But  it  will  be  a  good  deal 
to  get  out  of  the  clutches  of  the  enemy,  even  if  we 
can't  do  any  more." 


1 62      ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

Feeling  much  elated  over  the  discovery  of  the 
strange  vessel,  the  boys  rested  for  quarter  of  an 
hour,  and  then,  descending  to  the  ground,  struck 
out  rapidly  once  more  through  the  woods  and 
underbrush.  As  they  proceeded  Tom  carried  his 
pistol  in  his  hand,  in  case  some  wild  animal  might 
start  up  in  their  path,  but  nothing  of  the  sort  came 
to  view. 

As  they  came  closer  to  the  shore  they  found 
that  the  ground  was  wet  and  boggy,  and  they  had 
to  pick  their  way  with  care.  Once  Sam  went  into 
the  soil  up  to  his  ankles,  and  dragged  himself  out 
only  with  great  difficulty.  Then  they  made  a 
detour,  coming  out  on  the  beach  some  distance  be 
low  where  the  strange  ship  was  anchored. 

Halting  behind  a  convenient  bush,  they  sur 
veyed  the  ship  with  interest.  On  the  deck  they 
discovered  a  man  and  a  lady.  The  lady  was  sit 
ting  in  an  easy-chair,  and  the  man  stood  by,  lean 
ing  on  a  railing.  Both  were  talking  earnestly. 

"  Well  I  never!  "  came  from  Tom.     "  Sam,  do 
you  recognize  those  two  people?  " 
>      "  I  do,"  was  the  answer.     "  Josiah  Crabtree 
and  Mrs.  Stanhope !     How  in  the  world  did  they 
get  here?" 


<! 

Q     *> 

£  ? 

M       ^ 


CHAPTER  XX. 
JOSIAH  CRABTREE'S  GAME. 

FOR  the  moment  the  boys  were  practically 
dumfounded.  Josiah  Crabtree  and  Mrs.  Stan 
hope  in  this  out-of-the-way  place?  What  could 
it  mean  ? 

"  They  are  arguing  about  something,"  said 
Tom,  after  a  long  pause.  "  Hear  how  earnestly 
old  Crabtree  is  talking  to  her?  " 

"  I  wonder  if  Dora  is  with  them." 

"  I  don't  see  anything  of  her." 

"What  shall  we  do?" 

"  I  don't  know — excepting  to  remain  hidden 
until  we  learn  how  the  land  lays." 

The  boys  considered  the  situation  for  a  while, 
and  then,  by  turning  back  into  the  woods,  man 
aged  to  come  up  at  a  point  still  closer  to  the  ship, 
which  rested  at  anchor  close  to  the  trunk  of  a 
fallen  tree. 

Here  they  could  hear  the  most  of  what  was 
being  said,  and  could  also  obtain  a  fair  look  at  the 
side  of  Mrs.  Stanhope's  face.  Josiah  Crabtree's 

163 


I<54     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

back  was  turned  to  them.  They  noticed  that 
Mrs.  Stanhope's  face  wore  a  peculiar,  drawn  ex 
pression,  like  that  of  one  who  is  walking  in  his 
sleep. 

"  I'll  wager  he's  been  hypnotizing  her  again," 
whispered  Tom.  "Oh,  what  a  rascal  he  is! 
Just  as  bad  as  the  Baxters,  every  bit !  " 

"  I  do  not,  cannot,  understand  it  all,"  the  lady 
was  saying.  "I  thought  Dora  and  I  were  to  take 
this  trip  alone." 

"  It  will  all  be  clear  to  you  in  a  few  days,  Pet," 
returned  the  ex-school-teacher  soothingly.  He 
had  lately  gotten  to  calling  the  lady  "  Pet,"  al 
though  that  was  not  her  real  name. 

"  Where  'is  my  child  now  ?  I  do  not  wish  to 
remain  on  board  without  her." 

"  She  will  be  back  soon;  do  not  worry." 

"  I  thought  the  trip  would  do  me  much  good," 
continued  the  lady,  with  a  deep  sigh.  "  But  I  am 
more  feeble  than  ever,  and  I  cannot  think  as 
clearly  as  I  would  wish." 

"  It  may  be  that  this  lake  air  is  too  strong  for 
you,  Pet.  To-morrow  we  will  take  a  run  ashore. 
The  village  of  Nestwood  is  close  at  hand,  and  I 
dare  say  I  can  find  very  good  accommodations  for 
you  there." 

"Will  Dora  be  with  me?" 

"  Perhaps." 


JO  SI  AH  CRAB  TREE'S  GAME.  165 

"  I  do  not  wish  to  go  ashore  without  her.  She 
always  said  we  would  be  safe  on  the  boat." 

"  And  you  are  safe." 

"  But  she  didn't  want  me  to — that  is,  she  didn't 
expect  you  to  be  along." 

"  She  has  changed  her  mind  about  that,  Pet. 
I  had  a  long  talk  with  her  and  proved  to  her  that 
she  had  been  mistaken  in  me,  and  that  I  was  not 
as  black  as  painted." 

"  But  they  put  you  in  jail." 

"  All  a  mistake,  as  I  told  you  before.  It  was 
the  work  of  those  rascally  Rover  boys." 

"I  like  that,"  muttered  Tom.  "Isn't  he  a 
peach,  though,  for  smoothing  matters  over  ?  " 

"  He  has  hypnotized  her,  beyond  a  doubt,"  re 
turned  Sam.  "  She  would  never  believe  him 
otherwise." 

"And  what  did  Dora  say?"  went  on  Mrs. 
Stanhope,  after  a  pause,  during  which  Josiah 
Crabtree  took  a  turn  up  and  down  the  deck. 

"  She  is  perfectly  willing  that  we  should  marry, 
but  under  one  condition." 

"And  what  is  that?" 

"  I  hardly  dare  to  tell  you — it  is  so  peculiar. 
She  doesn't  wish  to  be  present  at  the  ceremony." 

"Not  present?" 

"  No.  She  ^ays  it  would  not  be  right.  That 
she  very  foolishly  made  a  vow  never  to  be  presenf 


166     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

should  you  marry  again,  and  that  she  must  keep 
that  vow.  She  feels  her  position  keenly,  but  she 
won't  break  her  vow." 

Such  a  statement  would  have  aroused  any  ordi 
nary  woman,  but  Mrs.  Stanhope  appeared  to  be 
completely  in  Josiah  Crabtree's  power,  and  all 
she  did  now  was  to  draw  a  long-  sigh  and  then 
wipe  away  a  tear  which  stole  down  her  pallid 
face. 

"  I  do  not  think  it  right  that  I  should  marry 
without  Dora  being  present." 

"  Pooh !  If  the  girl  wishes  to  remain  away, 
let  her  do  so.  She  will  soon  come  to  her  senses 
and  be  glad  of  the  way  matters  have  turned." 

"  You  do  not  know  Dora.  She  is  very — very 
headstrong  at  times." 

"  Yes,  I  do  know  her,  Pet.  She  is  headstrong, 
and  greatly  influenced  by  those  Rover  boys — espe 
cially  by  Dick  Rover,  who  seems  to  be — ahem — 
somewhat  smitten  with  her." 

"  Dick  always  impressed  me  as  being  a  good 
youth." 

"  Good  ?  He  is  anything  but  that.  Why,  if  it 
wasn't  for  the  Rovers,  I  would  now  have  the 
finest  boarding  school  for  boys  on  Cayuga  Lake. 
They  spoiled  all  the  plans  I  ever  made.  But  they 
shall  do  so  no  longer.  They  cross  my  path  again 
at  their  peril !  " 


JO  SI  AH  CRABTREE'S  GAME.  167 

"  The  tragic  old  fraud ! "  whispered  Tom. 
"  I've  a  good  mind  to  face  him  just  where  he 
stands." 

"  Go  slow !  We  don't  know  who  is  on  board  of 
that  ship." 

"  Evidently  friends  to  Crabtree,  or  they 
wouldn't  let  him  hypnotize  Dora's  mother." 

"  Where  can  Dora  be  ?  " 

"  That  remains  to  be  found  out." 

"  I  wonder  where  that  ship  hails  from  ?  " 

"  One  of  the  lake  towns.  She  is  an  old  vessel. 
There  is  the  name — Wellington.  That  sounds 
as  if  she  might  be  a  Canadian." 

"  Perhaps  Crabtree  got  both  of  them  into 
Canada  and  then  cast  Dora  adrift." 

There  was  now  a  stir  on  the  ship,  and  a  fat  old 
sailor  came  on  deck. 

"  How  long  you  say  we  stay  in  dees  island, 
hey?"  he  asked,  in  a  strong  French-Canadian 
accent. 

"  We  will  sail  as  soon  as  the  sun  goes  down," 
answered  Josiah  Crabtree. 

"  I  no  lak  to  stay  here,"  went  on  the  sailor. 
"  You  no  pay  for  to  stay  here." 

"  I  will  pay  you  for  your  full  time,"  answered 
the  ex-school-teacher  smoothly.  "  Do  not  worry 
on  that  account." 

"  You  go  on  de  land,  hey?  " 


l68     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  I  think  not.  We  shall  set  sail  for  Nestwood, 
as  I  told  you  before." 

"  Is  Dora  at  Nestwood  ?  "  questioned  Mrs. 
Stanhope. 

"  I  expect  to  meet  her  there.  But  she  may  not 
show  up  until  after  the  wedding,  my  dear." 

"  It  is  very,  very  strange,"  and  Mrs.  Stanhope 
sighed  again. 

The  fat  old  sailor  now  went  below  again,  and 
after  a  few  words  more  with  Mrs.  Stanhope  Jo- 
siah  Crabtree  followed. 

"  Now  is  our  chance ! "  whispered  Tom. 
"  You  stay  here  and  I'll  try  to  have  a  talk  with 
Mrs.  Stanhope  in  secret." 

So  speaking,  Tom  crawled  out  upon  the  fallen 
tree  trunk  until  he  could  reach  a  rope  hanging 
over  the  Wellington's  side.  Then  he  drew  him 
self  up  silently. 

"  Oh !  "  cried  Mrs.  Stanhope,  on  catching  sight 
of  him.  "  Is  it  really  you,  Tom  Rover?  " 

"  Hush,  Mrs.  Stanhope !  not  so  loud,"  he  re 
plied  hastily.  "  I  don't  want  to  let  Josiah  Crab- 
tree  know  I  am  here." 

"  But  where  did  you  come  from?  " 

"  From  the  island.  It's  a  long  story.  I  am 
here  with  Sam." 

"  It  is  very  strange.  But  many  things  of  late 
lave  been  strange." 


JOSIAH  CRABTREE'S  GAMS.  169 

"  May  I  ask  how  you  happen  to  be  here?  " 

"  That,  too,  is  a  long  story.  I  was  to  take  a 
trip  with  Dora,  for  the  benefit  of  my  health.  But, 
on  the  way  to  the  lakes  Dora  disappeared  and 
Mr.  Crabtree  turned  up  in  her  place — and  he  has 
been  with  me  ever  since." 

"  He  wants  to  marry  you,  doesn't  he?  " 

"  Yes,  he  has  always  wished  that,  as  you 
know." 

"  I  wouldn't  do  it.  He  is  after  your  money, 
and  that  is  all.  He  is  a  fraud,  and  everybody 
knows  it." 

Mrs.  Stanhope  passed  her  hand  over  her  brow. 
Tom's  blunt  words  did  much  to  counteract  Josiah 
Crabtree's  strange  influence  over  her. 

"  Your  words  impress  me  deeply,"  she  faltered. 
"  Dora  talks  that  way,  too.  But — but — Mr. 
Crabtree,  when  he  is  with  me,  makes  me  think  so 
differently."  She  tried  to  get  up,  then  sank  back 
in  her  seat.  "  And  I  am  so  weak  physically !  " 

"  Don't  alarm  yourself,  Mrs.  Stanhope.  If 
you  need  a  friend,  I'll  stand  by  you — and  so  will 
Sam." 

"Where  is  Dick?  You  boys  are  always  to 
gether." 

"  I  don't  know  where  he  is  at  present.  We 
were  carried  off  by  the  Baxters,  who  are  not  far 
off." 


1 7°     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

"  The  Baxters !  Oh,  I  am  afraid  of  those 
people — more  afraid  than  I  ever  was  of  Mr.  Crab- 
tree." 

"  They  are  certainly  more  daring,  but  no  worse 
morally  than  Crabtree."  Tom  ran  his  hand 
through  his  curly  hair  in  perplexity.  "  Who  is 
aboard  of  this  boat  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Crabtree  and  myself,  two  sailors,  and  one 
of  the  sailors'  wives,  who  has  been  waiting  on 
me." 

"  Not  a  very  large  crowd." 

"  Mr.  Crabtree  said  he  did  not  wish  too  many 
along." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  here  on  the 
lake?" 

"  Several  days.  I  did  not  wish  to  go,  but, 
but " 

"  He  has  an  influence  over  you  ?  " 

"  Yes,  a  strange  influence  I  cannot  understand. 
Oh,  I  am  so  wretched !  "  And  the  lady  suddenly 
burst  into  tears. 

"  Don't,  please  don't !  "  said  Tom,  all  sympathy 
at  once.     "  It's  Crabtree's  work,  and  he  shan't  • 
harm  you.     I'll  see  you  safe  back  to  Dora  and' 
home." 

"  Will  you  ?  "  she  demanded  eagerly.  "  I  do 
not  wish  to  marry  unless  Dora  is  pleased.  She 
said " 


JO  SI  AH  CRAB  TREE'S  GAME.  I?> 

Mrs.  Stanhope  got  no  further,  for  at  that  in 
stant  Josiah  Crabtree  reappeared  on  deck.  His 
astonishment  at  seeing  Tom  can  better  be  imag 
ined  than  described. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

TOM    BRINGS    ONE    ENEMY   TO    TERMS. 

"  AM  I  dreaming?  "  gasped  the  former  school 
teacher,  when  he  could  command  his  voice  suffi 
ciently  to  speak. 

"  You  might  better  be  dreaming,  Josiah  Crab- 
tree,"  replied  Tom,  eying  the  man  sharply. 
"  This  is  a  bad  business  you  are  engaged  in." 

"  Where  did  you  come  from?  " 

"  None  of  your  business." 

"  Don't  be  impertinent,  young  man." 

"  Then  don't  try  to  pry  into  my  private 
affairs." 

"  Have  you  been  following  this  boat  ?  "  ques 
tioned  Crabtree  nervously. 

"  Never  mind  what  I've  been  doing.  I  have 
found  you  out,  and  that  appears  to  be  a  good  job 
done." 

"  Found  me  out  ?  What  do  you  mean  to  in 
sinuate  by  that?  " 

"  I  mean  that  you  are  up  to  no  good;  that's 
what  I  mean,  Mr.  Josiah  Crabtree,  A.  M." 

"  You  are  very,  very " 


TOM  BRINGS  ONE  ENEMY  TO    TERMS.      173 

"  Don't  try  to  abuse  me,  it  won't  work.  I  want 
to  know  what  you  propose  to  do  with  Mrs.  Stan 
hope." 

"  That  is  my  affair — or,  rather,  it  is  the  affair 
of  that  lady  and  myself — and  does  not  concern 
such  a  scamp  as  you." 

"  Oh,  Josiah !  I  do  not  think  Tom  is  a  scamp," 
broke  in  Mrs.  Stanhope,  in  a  pleading  voice, 

"  He  is  a  scamp,  and  worse,  Pet.  Allow  me  to 
deal  with  him  alone." 

"  So  you  thought  to  dope  with  Mrs.  Stan 
hope,"  went  on  Tom  sarcastically.  "  To  elope 
without  Dora  being  the  wiser." 

"  Ha !  what  do  you  know  of  Dora !  "  ejaculated 
the  man,  starting  back  in  alarm. 

"  I  know  a  good  deal." 

"  Has  she — ahem!  followed  me?  " 

"  Would  that  surprise  you?  " 

"  It  is — er — very  extraordinary."  Crabtree 
cleared  his  throat.  "  I — that  is — where  is  she 
now  ?  "  And  he  looked  around. 

"  I  told  you  I  wasn't  answering  questions. 
But  you  had  better  take  my  advice  and  go  slow, 
or  you'll  soon  find  yourself  in  jail  again." 

"  You  must  have  followed  us  in  a  boat.  Where 
is  your  craft  ?  " 

"  Another  question  which  I  am  not  answering. 
Do  you  surrender  ?  " 


174     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

"Surrender?" 

"  That  is  what  I  said." 

"  I — er — don't  understand." 

"  The  case  is  very  simple.  You  ran  off  with 
Mrs.  Stanhope,  influencing  her  against  her  will 
to  accompany  you.  Your  game  is  to  marry  her 
so  that  you  can  get  hold  of  the  money  she  is  hold 
ing  in  trust  for  Dora " 

"It  is  false!" 

"  It  is  the  plain  truth.  Josiah  Crabtree,  you 
are  a  trickster  of  the  first  water,  but  if  I  can  pre 
vent  your  trickery  I  am  going  to  do  it."  Tom 
turned  to  Mrs.  Stanhope,  who  was  now  crying 
violently.  "  Won't  you  go  below  and  let  me 
have  it  out  with  this  man?" 

"Oh,  I  trust  there  will  be  no  violence!"  she 
sobbed. 

"  I  shall  teach  this  young  upstart  a  lesson," 
fumed  Josiah  Crabtree.  He  saw  that  Tom's 
coming  had  greatly  lessened  his  influence  over 
the  lady. 

"  Please  go  below,  Mrs.  Stanhope,  and  don't 
worry  about  me,"  said  Tom. 

"  Yes,  it  will  be  best,"  added  Crabtree,  and  then 
the  lady  disappeared  down  the  companion  way, 
walking  slowly,  for  she  felt  weaker  than  ever,  be 
cause  of  the  excitement. 

"  Now,  sir,  we  will  come  to  an  understanding," 


TOM  BRINGS  ONE  ENEMY   TO    TERMS.      1 75 

said  the  former  teacher  of  Putnam  Hall,  as  he 
faced  Tom  with  a  show  of  severe  dignity. 

"  Very  well,  we  will  come  to  an  understand 
ing." 

"  You  have  followed  me  to  here." 

"  Granted." 

"  You  came  in  another  boat  with  Dora." 

"What  if  I  did?  Do  you  suppose  I  would 
come  with  her  alone?  "  went  on  Tom,  struck  with 
a  sudden  idea. 

"  Do  you  mean  to  say  you  have — er — brought 
along  any  of  the — ahem! — authorities?"  And 
Josiah  Crabtree  glanced  around  nervously. 

"  I  am  not  alone — nor  is  Dora  where  you  can 
do  her  any  harm." 

Josiah  Crabtree's  face  became  a  trifle  pale. 

"  Boy,  what  do  you  wish  to  do — ruin  me  ?  " 

"  Mr.  Crabtree,  you  are  ruining  yourself." 

"  You  were  the  means  of  putting  me  in  jail  be 
fore — you  and  your  brothers." 

"  You  deserved  it,  didn't  you?  " 

"  No." 

"  I  think  you  did.  But  that  has  nothing  to  do 
with  the  present  situation.  I  want  to  know  if  you 
are  willing  to  come  to  terms  or  not?  " 

"  What — er — terms  do  you  want  me  to 
make?" 

"  Are  you  in  control  of  this  boat  ?  " 


176     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  I  am." 

"  Then,  in  the  first  place,  you  must  turn  the 
control  of  the  boat  over  to  me." 

"And  after  that?" 

"  You  can  remain  on  board,  if  you  behave  your 
self,  until  we  reach  the  mainland." 

"And  what  then?" 

"  After  that  you  can  make  your  own  terms  with 
Mrs.  Stanhope  and  Dora," 

"  But  the  authorities " 

"  Mr.  Crabtree,  for  the  sake  of  the  Stanhopes 
we  wish  to  avoid  all  publicity,"  replied  Tom,  play 
ing  his  game  as  skillfully  as  possible.  "  I  don't 
think  they  will  want  to  bring  you  and  themselves 
into  court,  if  you  will  promise  to  leave  them  alone 
in  the  future." 

"  Who  is  with  you  here? "  And  Crabtree 
looked  ashore  anxiously. 

"  Sam  is  close  at  hand." 

"And  the  others?" 

"  Never  mind  about  the  others.  I  hold  a  win 
ning  hand,  but  what  that  is  I'll  let  time  show. 
Now,  for  the  last  time,  are  you  willing  to  let  me 
take  charge  or  not  ?  " 

"  It  is  a  very  unusual  proceeding." 

"  Say  yes  or  no." 

"What  shall  I  say?  I  do  not  wish  any 
trouble." 


TOM  BRINGS  ONE  ENEMY   TO   TERMS.      177 

"  Then  I  am  going  to  take  charge.  Call  up 
the  two  sailors  who  have  been  running  this  boat 
for  you." 

With  a  dark  look  on  his  face  Josiah  Crabtree 
did  as  requested.  At  the  same  time  Tom  beck 
oned  to  Sam  to  come  on  the  deck. 

The  sailors  were  much  astonished  to  see  the 
two  strangers.  Only  the  fat  tar  could  speak  Eng 
lish,  and  he  translated  what  was  said  into  French 
for  his  companion's  benefit. 

It  was  with  very  bad  grace  that  Josiah  Crabtree 
told  the  sailor  who  commanded  the  Wellington 
that  Tom  would  now  direct  the  movements  of  the 
vessel. 

"  We  have — er — decided  to  change  our  plans," 
said  the  former  school-teacher. 

"  What  you  lak  to  do  den,  hey  ?  "  demanded  the 
fat  sailor. 

"  What  is  the  nearest  American  town  to  here£  M 
asked  Tom. 

"  Ze  nearest  place?  " 

"  Yes." 

"  Buryport." 

"  And  how  far  is  that  from  here?  " 

"  Ten  or  eleven  miles." 

"  Then  we  will  sail  for  that  place,  and  at 
once." 

At  this  Crabtree  looked  surprised. 


178     ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LA&ES. 

"  You  are  going  to  Buryport  at  once  ?  What 
about  the  others  you  said  were  with  you  ?  " 

"  I  will  answer  no  questions."  Tom  turned 
around  and  winked  at  Sam,  who  had  heard  the 
previous  conversation.  "  I  guess  they'll  follow 
right  enough,  eh  ?  " 

"  Sure,"  answered  Sam.  "  Dick  knows  what 
he's  doing,  and  so  does  that  detective." 

"A  detective!"  groaned  Josiah  Crabtree. 
"  Has  it  come  to  this !  "  And  he  wrung  his  hands 
nervously. 

"  Mr.  Crabtree,  I  must  ask  you  to  step  for 
ward,"  went  on  Tom.  "  I  do  not  wish  you  to  go 
below." 

"Why?" 

"  I  do  not  wish  you  to  worry  Mrs.  Stanhope," 
answered  the  youth.  But  what  he  was  afraid  of 
was  that  Crabtree  might  take  it  into  his  head  to 
arm  himself  and  bring  on  further  trouble. 

"  As  you  please,"  answered  the  former  teacher, 
with  a  shrug  of  his  shoulders.  "  You  seem  to 
have  matters  well  in  hand."  And  he  strode  for 
ward,  biting  his  lip  in  vexation.  He  would  have 
tried  to  escape  to  the  island,  only  he  was  afraid  no 
one  would  ever  come  to  rescue  him. 

While  speaking,  Tom  had  taken  the  pains  to 
display  the  pistol  taken  from  the  sailor  at  the 
cave.  Sam  now  took  up  a  short  iron  bar  lying 


TOM  BRINGS  ONE  ENEMY   TO    TERMS.      179 

near,  and  both  boys  showed  that  they  meant  to 
remain  masters  of  the  situation.  The  Canadians 
noted  this,  but  said  nothing,  for  they  felt  some 
thing  was  wrong  and  they  wished  to  get  into  no 
'trouble.  A  few  minutes  later  the  anchor  was 
brought  up,  the  sails  hoisted,  and  the  Wellington 
stood  away  from  Needle  Point  Island. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

THE    SECRET    OF    THE    ISLAND    CAVE. 

IT  is  now  time  that  we  go  back  to  the  Rocket 
and  see  how  Dick  and  those  with  him  were  faring. 

At  the  announcement  that  a  schooner  looking 
like  the  Peacock  was  in  sight  he  ran  on  deck  with 
all  speed,  and  caught  up  a  glass  belonging  to  the 
owner  of  the  steam  tug. 

"  It's  the  Peacock,  sure,"  he  cried. 

"  See  anything  o'  that  Captain  Langless  or 
them  Baxters  ?  "  asked  Luke  Peterson. 

"  I  see  somebody,  but  we  are  too  far  off  to  make 
out  their  faces." 

The  order  was  passed  to  the  engineer  of  the 
tug,  and  the  speed  of  the  craft  was  materially  in 
creased. 

But  before  they  could  come  up  to  the  schooner 
she  disappeared  around  a  headland  of  the  island. 

"  We  must  run  out  a  bit,"  said  Captain  Par 
sons.  "  There  is  a  hasty  reef  here,  and  if  we 
aint  careful  we'll  get  aground." 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  the  Peacock  has 
gone  ?  "  asked  Dick. 

180 


THE   SECRET  OF    THE  ISLAND   CAVE.      l8l 

"  Into  one  of  the  bays,  most  likely." 

"  Can  we  follow  her  ?  " 

"  Of  course.  The  tug  doesn't  draw  any  more 
water  than  the  schooner,  if  as  much." 

"  Perhaps  we  had  better  see  how  the  land  lays 
before  we  approach  too  close,"  suggested  Peter 
son.  "  They  may  be  prepared  to  fight  us  off." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  Dick.  "  Perhaps  we  can 
slip  into  another  bay  close  by." 

So  it  was  arranged,  and  they  sped  on  their  way, 
passing  the  bay  in  which  the  Peacock  lay. 

Near  the  island  was  a  quantity  of  driftwood, 
and  they  had  just  gotten  out  of  sight  of  the  bay 
when  there  was  a  sudden  grinding  and  crashing 
sound  on  board  of  the  tug,  and  the  engineer  shut 
off  the  steam  power. 

"  A  breakdown !  "  exclaimed  the  captain,  and 
so  it  proved.  The  screw  had  become  entangled  in 
the  limb  of  a  tree,  and  sufficient  damage  had  been 
done  to  render  the  screw  useless. 

This  was  indeed  an  unlooked-for  accident,  and 
Dick  wondered  what  they  had  best  do. 

"  We  can't  use  the  screw  at  all  ?  "  he  asked  o-f 
the  engineer,  after  an  examination. 

"  Not  until  I  have  had  a  chance  to  repair  it." 

"  And  how  long  wi-11  the  repairs  take?  " 

"  Can't  tell  till  I  get  at  work.  Maybe  an  hour 
or  two,  maybe  half  a  day." 


1 82      ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

This  was  dismaying  information,  and  Dick 
held  a  consultation  with  Larry  Colby  and  Luke. 

"  I  know  what  I'd  do,"  said  Larry.     "  I'd  have 
the  captain  of  the  tug  land  me  at  some  point  above 
here,  and  then  I'd  watch  the  Peacock  from  behind/ 
some  bushes  on  shore." 

This  was  considered  good  advice,  and  Dick 
agreed  to  act  upon  it.  He  spoke  to  Parsons,  and 
a  small  boat  was  put  out,  and  Dick,  Larry,  and 
Peterson  were  rowed  to  land. 

"  Now  what  will  you  do  with  the  tug?  "  asked 
the  eldest  Rover. 

"  We'll  haul  her  in  to  a  safe  spot,"  answered 
Parsons.  "  I  don't  believe  those  repairs  will 
take  over  a  couple  of  hours.  Then  we'll  be  at 
your  service  again." 

Once  on  land  Dick  led  the  way  into  the  woods, 
moving  in  the  direction  of  the  bay  where  he  had 
last  seen  the  Peacock. 

He  was  armed,  and  so  were  his  companions,  but 
they  wished,  if  possible,  to  avoid  all  trouble. 

They  had  landed  at  a  spot  where  the  rocks  were 
numerous  and  the  ground  uncertain,  and  they  had 
not  proceeded  far  when  Luke  Peterson  called  a 
halt. 

"  We  want  to  be  careful  here,"  he  said.  "  This 
island  is  full  of  caves  and  pitfalls  and,  before  you 
know  it,  you'll  break  a  leg." 


THE   SECRET  OF   THE  ISLAND    CAVE.      183 

"  It  is  certainly  an  ideal  hiding  place,"  returned 
Larry.  "  Hi,  Dick!  what's  that?  " 

"What's  what?" 

"  I  thought  I  saw  somebody  in  the  brush  yon 
der." 

Dick  shook  his  head. 

"  I  saw  nothing." 

"  Neither  did  I,"  put  in  the  lumberman. 
"Who  did  it  look  like?" 

"  Perhaps  I  was  mistaken  and  it  was  a  bird 
flitting  through  the  brush.  Come  on." 

Larry  plunged  ahead  and  Dick  followed. 

Both  had  hardly  taken  a  dozen  steps  when  each 
gave  a  yell. 

"  What's  up  now  ?  "  cried  Peterson,  and  came 
after  them  at  a  bound. 

Then  all  tried  to  scramble  back. 

It  was  too  late.  They  had  struck  a  tiny  water 
course  between  the  rocks.  And  now  the  very 
bottom  of  it  seemed  to  drop  out,  and  they  sank 
down  and  down  into  almost  utter  darkness. 

"  We  are  lost !  "  spluttered  Dick,  but  it  is  doubt 
ful  if  either  of  his  companions  heard  him. 

For  the  minute  after  Dick  was  so  dazed  and 
bewildered  that  he  said  nothing  more.  He 
clutched  at  rocks,  dirt,  and  tree  roots,  but  all  gave 
way  at  his  touch. 

At  last  he  found  himself  flat  on  his  back  on  a 


184     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

heap  of  dead  leaves  and  moss.  Partly  across 
him  lay  Larry,  while  Peterson  was  several  feet 
away.  Around  the  three  lay  dirt  and  bushes  and 
several  good-sized  stones.  It  was  lucky  the 
stones  had  not  come  down  on  top  of  them,  other 
wise  one  or  another  might  have  been  killed. 

"  Gosh,  what  a  tumble!  "  ejaculated  Peterson, 
when  he  could  speak.  "  I  told  ye  to  be  careful. 
This  island  is  like  a  reg'lar  honeycomb  fer  holes." 

"  Oh,  my  foot! "  gasped  Larry,  as  he  tried  to 
get  up. 

"  That  was  a  tumble  and  no  mistake,"  said 
Dick.  "  What's  the  matter  with  your  foot, 
Larry?" 

"  I  don't  know,  excepting  I  must  have  sprained 
my  ankle,"  was  the  answer.  "  Oh ! "  And 
Larry  gave  a  loud  groan. 

Forgetful  of  their  situation,  Dick  and  the  lum 
berman  bent  over  Larry  and  helped  him  to  get  off 
his  shoe  and  sock.  His  ankle  was  beginning  to 
swell  and  turn  red,  and  he  had  sprained  it  beyond 
a  doubt. 

The  water  was  coming  into  the  openirfg^irom 
the  little  stream  overhead,  and  Dick  readily  pro 
cured  a  hatful  of  the  fluid  and  the  ankle  was 
bathed  with  this.  After  this  it  was  bound  up, 
and  Larry  said  it  felt  somewhat  better. 

"  But  I  can't  walk  very  far  on  it,"  he  continued, 


THE   SECRET  OF   THE  ISLAND   CAVE.      185 

and  then  added,  with  a  sorry  smile,  "  I  am  laid 
up,  just  as  the  Rocket  is !  " 

"  The  question  is,  now  we  are  down  at  the  bot 
tom  of  this  hole,  how  are  we  going  to  get  out  ?  " 
said  Dick  to  Peterson. 

"  We'll  have  to  get  out  some  way,"  was  the 
unsatisfactory  response.  "  See,  the  water  is 
coming  in  faster  than  ever." 

The  lumberman  was  right,  the  water  had  been 
running  in  a  tiny  stream  not  larger  than  a  child's 
wrist;  now  it  was  pouring  in  steadily  like  a  cata 
ract.  Soon  the  bottom  of  the  hole  had  formed  a 
pool  several  inches  deep. 

"  Wait  till  it  fills  up  and  then  swim  out,"  sug 
gested  Larry. 

"  No,  thanks,"  returned  Dick.  "  We  might 
be  drowned  by  that  operation." 

The  hole  was  irregular  in  shape,  about  ten  feet 
in  diameter  and  fully  twenty  feet  deep.  What 
had  caused  the  sudden  sinking  was  a  mystery  until 
it  was  solved  by  the  water  in  the  pool  suddenly 
dropping  away  into  another  hole  still  deeper. 
Then  of  a  sudden  the  trio  went  down  again,  this 
time  at  an  angle,  to  find  themselves  in  a  good' 
sized  cave,  where  all  was  dark  and  uncertain. 

The  tumble  had  wrenched  Larry's  ankle  (still 
more,  and  the  youth  could  not  suppress  his  groans 
of  pain. 


186     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

As  soon  as  he  was  able  Peterson  leaped  up, 
struck  a  match,  and  lit  some  brushwood  which 
happened  to  be  near  and  which  the  water  had  not 
yet  touched. 

By  this  light  Larry's  ankle  was  again  attended 
to  and  bound  up  in  a  couple  of  handkerchiefs. 

"  If  we  keep  on  we'll  get  to  the  center  of  the 
earth,"  remarked  Dick,  as  he  gazed  around  curi 
ously.  "  Where  do  you  suppose  we  are  now  ?  " 

"  In  one  of  the  island  caves,"  answered  Peter 
son.  "  I  told  you  the  place  was  full  of  them. 
That's  the  reason  the  smugglers  used  to  hold  out 
here." 

"  Perhaps  we'll  come  across  some  of  their 
treasures." 

At  this  Peterson  shook  his  head.  "  Not  likely. 
When  the  last  of  the  smugglers  was  arrested  the 
government  detectives  searched  the  island  thor 
oughly  and  gathered  in  all  to  be  found." 

"  I  see.  Well,  how  are  we  to  get  out,  now  we 
are  down  here?  " 

"  We  might  climb  back,  Rover,  the  way  we 
came,  but  that  is  dangerous  on  account  \  of  the 
water.  I  rather  think  we'll  do  better  to  look  for 
the  regular  opening  to  the  cave,  if  there  is  any." 

The  matter  was  talked  over  for  several  minutes, 
and  it  was  decided  that  Dick  and  Peterson  should 
investigate,  while  Larry  remained  by  the  fire, 


THE   SECRET   OF    THE  ISLAND    CAVE.      187 

keeping  it  as  bright  as  possible  and  resting  his 
sore  ankle. 

At  a  short  distance  ahead  the  cave  branched 
into  two  parts,  and  coming  to  the  forks,  Dick  took 
the  right  while  Peterson  moved  to  the  left.  Dick 
carried  a  torch,  which  he  held  overhead,  and  like 
wise  a  pistol,  in  case  any  snake  or  wild  animal 
should  attack  him. 

The  youth  had  not  proceeded  far  before  he 
came  upon  signs  which  showed  that  the  cave  at 
one  time  had  been  inhabited  by  human  beings. 
First  he  espied  a  part  of  an  old  bag,  then  a 
weather-beaten  sailor's  cap,  and  soon  after  a  rusty 
pistol,  falling  apart  for  the  want  of  care. 

"  This  must  have  been  a  smugglers'  retreat 
sure,"  he  murmured  to  himself.  "  My,  if  I  should 
stumble  across  a  box  of  gold!  " 

He  hurried  forward  and  presently  reached  a 
spot  where  the  cave  broadened  out  into  a  round 
chamber.  Here  there  were  a  rude  table  and  sev 
eral  benches,  all  ready  to  fall  apart  from  decay. 

With  quick  steps  he  approached  the  table,  for 
he  had  seen  something  lying  upon  it — something 
which  made  him  start  and  give  a  cry  of  wonder. 
In  the  center  of  the  table  was  a  heap  of  silver  dol 
lars,  and  beside  this  was  a  land  map,  drawn  by 
hand.  On  the  map  lay  a  rusty  dagger  and  a  hu 
man  skull! 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

THE    BAXTERS    ARE    FOLLOWED. 

"WELL,  I  never ! '• 

Dick  gazed  at  the  silver,  the  map,  the  dagger, 
and  the  skull  with  mingled  surprise  and  horror. 

How  had  those  things  come  there,  and  what 
was  the  mystery  concerning  them  ? 

Coming  closer,  he  picked  up  several  of  the  dol 
lars  and  examined  them.  All  were  dated  thirty 
to  forty  years  back. 

Then  he  picked  up  the  dagger,  a  beautiful 
affair  of  polished  steel  with  a  curiously  wrought 
handle  of  buckhorn. 

The  skull  he  left  untouched. 

The  map  was  covered  with  dust,  some  of  which 
he  endeavored  to  blow  away.  Beneath  he  saw 
that  there  were  odd  tracings  of  many  kinds,  and 
letterings  in  a  language  which  was  strange  to 
him.  Then  nis  light  began  to  go  out  and  he 
shouted  for  Peterson  to  join  him. 

The  sound  echoed  and  re-echoed  throughout 
the  cavern,  showing  that  the  place  was  even  more 

188 


THE  BAXTERS  ARE  FOLLOWED.  189 

roomy  than  he  h'ad  anticipated.     He  waited  sev 
eral  minutes,  then  saw  Peterson's  light. 

"What's  up?"  demanded  the  lumberman  as 
he  approached.  "  Find  anything  important  ?  " 

"  I  should  say  so,"  answered  Dick.  "  Look 
there." 

Peterson  did  so,  then  gave  a  cry  of  astonish 
ment. 

"  Silver,  lad,  silver !     And  a  skull !  " 

"  There  is  some  story  hidden  in  this  affair," 
said  Dick  soberly.  "  Can  you  explain  it  ?  " 

"  I  cannot."  Peterson  picked  up  the  dagger. 
"  That's  a  French  weapon." 

"  But  the  dollars  are  U.  S.  money." 

"  Right.  It  is  a  mystery  and  no  error.  How 
much  money  is  there  here  ?  " 

The  two  counted  the  pile  and  found  it  footed  up 
to  two  hundred  and  forty  dollars. 

"  Not  a  fortune,  but  still  a  tidy  sum,"  said 
Peterson.  To  a  man  in  his  standing  two  hun 
dred  and  forty  dollars  was  quite  an  amount. 

"  A  fair  share  of  it  is  yours,"  said  Dick.  "  Let 
us  investigate  some  more." 

The  lumberman  was  willing,  and  lighting  a 
fresh  torch,  they  moved  around  the  circular 
chamber.  At  one  point  they  saw  an  opening  lead 
ing  into  a  second  chamber.  Here  were  a  number 
of  boxes  and  casks,  all  covered  with  dust  and  dirt, 


19°     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

the  accumulation  of  years.  Prying  open  one  of 
the  boxes  which  was  handy,  they  discovered  that 
it  contained  canned  vegetables.  A  second  box 
contained  dress  goods,  and  a  third  some  candles. 
A  cask  close  at  hand  was  marked  "  Cognac." 

"  This  was  a  regular  smugglers'  hangout,"  said 
Peterson.  "  Those  boxes  must  contain  stuff  of 
some  value.  Rover,  we  have  made  a  haul  by 
coming  here." 

"  Yes,  but  I  am  forgetting  all  about  my 
brothers,"  added  Dick  hastily.  "  Let  us  leave  this 
alone  for  the  present.  I  guess  it  is  safe  enough." 

"  No  doubt,  since  it  has  rested  undisturbed  so 
many  years." 

They  left  the  storeroom,  as  it  may  properly  be 
termed,  and  returned  to  the  circular  chamber. 

At  first  they  could  find  no  further  opening,  but 
then  Dick  saw  a  thin  shaft  of  light  coming  from 
a  corner.  Here  there  was  a  flat  rock  which  was 
easily  pulled  aside.  A  broad  opening  led  upward 
to  the  outer  world. 

"  Safe,  so  far  as  getting  out  is  concerned,"  re 
marked  Peterson.  "  All  told,  I  reckon  we  had 
quite  a  lucky  tumble,  after  all." 

"  If  Larry's  ankle  isn't  too  bad." 

They  hurried  back  to  where  Larry  had  been  left, 
and  found  him  still  nursing  his  ankle,  which  had 
swollen  to  the  size  of  his  knee.  He  tried  to  stand 


THE  BAXTERS  ARE  FOLLOWED.  19! 

upon  it,  but  the  pain  was  so  great  he  was  glad 
enough  to  sit  down  again. 

He  listened  in  open-mouthed  wonder  to  what 
Dick  had  to  tell.  "  A  treasure  cave !  "  he  cried. 
"  Who  would  have  dreamed  of  such  a  thing  on 
Lake  Huron!" 

Now  that  Larry  could  not  move,  the  others 
were  in  a  quandary  as  to  what  to  do.  Dick  was 
impatient  to  be  after  the  Peacock. 

"  The  folks  on  the  schooner  may  take  it  into 
their  heads  to  sail  away,  if  they  caught  sight  of 
the  steam  tug,"  he  said.  "  And  if  they  give 
us  the  slip  I  won't  know  where  to  look  for 
them." 

"  I  guess  I'll  be  safe  if  left  alone,"  said  Larry. 
"  I  have  water  and  the  fire,  and  my  pistol.  You 
go  ahead,  and  come  back  for  me  when  it  is  con 
venient.  Only  don't  leave  the  island  without 
me." 

"  Leave  without  you  ?  Not  much !  "  answered 
Dick. 

"  You  forget  the  treasure,"  put  in  Peterson, 
with  a  laugh.  "  We  are  not  going  to  let  that 
slip." 

"That's  so,"  said  Larry.  "All  right;  I'll  re 
main  as  the  guardian,  of  the  treasure."  And  so  it 
was  arranged. 

It  was  no  easy  matter  to  gain  the  outer  air  oncei 


192      ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

more,  for  the  passageway  was  choked  with  dirt 
and  brushwood  which  the  wind  had  blown  in. 
When  they  came  into  the  open  they  found  them 
selves  close  to  the  lake  shore  at  a  spot  surrounded 
thickly  with  trees. 

"  A  fine  cove  for  a  smuggler  to  hide  in,"  ob 
served  Peterson.  "  No  wonder  they  made  this 
cave  their  rendezvous." 

"  Where  is  the  bay  in  which  the  Peacock  dis 
appeared  ?  " 

"  To  the  westward,  Rover.  Come,  I'll  show 
the  way." 

"  Be  careful  that  we  don't  get  into  another 
trap." 

"  I've  got  my  eyes  open,"  responded  the  lum 
berman. 

On  they  went  once  more,  over  the  rocks  and 
through  a  tangle  of  brushwood.  It  was  now  al 
most  dark,  and  Dick  was  beginning  to  think  they 
would  lose  their  way  when  Peterson  called  a  sud 
den  halt. 

"  Here  we  are,"  he  whispered  and  pointed 
ahead.  There,  through  the  trees,  could  be  seen 
the  waters  of  the  tiny  bay,  and  there  lay  the 
Peacock  at  anchor. 

Only  one  man  was  on  deck,  a  sailor  Dick  had 
seen  several  times*  Otherwise  the  craft  appeared 
deserted. 


THE  BAXTERS  ARE  FOLLOWED.  193 

"  Do  you  suppose  the  Baxters  and  the  others 
have  gone  ashore  ?  "  asked  Dick. 

"  No  telling  yet,  lad.  Let  us  watch  out  for 
a  while." 

They  sat  down  and  watched  until  the  darkness 
of  night  began  to  hide  the  Peacock  from  view. 

At  last  they  saw  Arnold  Baxter  come  on  deck, 
followed  by  Dan. 

The  two  entered  a  rowboat  and  a  sailor  took 
them  ashore.  They  had  scarcely  landed  when 
Captain  Langless  appeared,  coming  along  a  path 
way  but  a  few  yards  from  where  Dick  and  the 
lumberman  were  in  hiding. 

At  once  a  wordy  war  ensued  between  the  Bax 
ters  and  the  owner  of  the  schooner.  What  it  was 
about  Dick  and  Peterson  could  not  make  out,  al 
though  they  realized  that  it  concerned  Tom  and 
Sam. 

"  Your  men  are  a  set  of  doughheads,"  cried 
Arnold  Baxter.  "  They  are  to  be  trusted  with 
nothing." 

"  Never  mind,  we'll  come  out  ahead  anyway," 
retorted  Captain  Langless.  "  I  reckon  you've 
been  tripped  up  yourself  before  this." 

"  I  warned  you  to  be  careful." 

"  It  wasn't  my  fault." 

"What's  to  do  now?"  put  in  Dan  Baxter. 
"  Shall  we  stay  on  the  island,  dad  ?  " 


194     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Certainly,"  grumbled  Arnold  Baxter.  "  But 
I  don't  know  exactly  what  to  do,"  and  the  man 
scratched  his  head  in  perplexity. 

"  Let  us  go  up  to  the  cave." 

"  That  won't  do  you  any  good,"  growled 
Captain  Langless.  "  I  know  what  I  am  going 
to  do." 

"What?" 

"  I'm  going  to  sail  around  the  island  and  find 
out  if  any  other  boat  is  near.  I  don't  want  those 
boys  to  signal  another  boat." 

"  A  good  idea,"  said  Arnold  Baxter.  "  But 
Dan  and  I  can  remain  on  shore  anyway." 

"Just  as  you  please,"  and  Captain  Langless 
shrugged  his  shoulders. 

The  rowboat  was  still  at  the  shore,  and  the  cap 
tain  returned  to  the  Peacock  with  the  member  of 
his  crew,  leaving  the  Baxters  to  themselves. 

Dick  nudged  Peterson  in  the  side. 

"  Can  it  be  possible  that  Tom  and  Sam  have 
escaped  ?  "  he  whispered. 

"  It  looks  that  way,"  answered  the  lumberman. 
"  Anyway,  something  is  very  much  wrong 
or  these  rascals  wouldn't  fall  out  with  each 
other." 

"  Hadn't  we  better  watch  the  Baxters  ?  " 

"  I  think  so.  The  Peacock  will  not  go  far,  I'm 
pretty  sure  of  that." 


THE  BAXTERS  ARE  FOLLOWED.  195 

The  Baxters  now  passed  along  the  footpath 
leading  to  the  cave  in  which  Tom  and  Sam  had 
been  placed. 

Noiselessly  Dick  and  Peterson  followed.  As 
Dick  advanced  he  drew  his  pistol. 

Quarter  of  a  mile  was  covered  and  they  were 
close  to  the  cave,  when  Arnold  Baxter  suddenly 
halted. 

"  Dan,  supposing  Captain  Langless  doesn't 
come  back,"  he  exclaimed,  loud  enough  for  Dick 
and  his  companion  to  hear. 

"  Doesn't  come  back !  "  ejaculated  the  bully. 
"  Why,  he's  got  to  come  back." 

"  No,  he  hasn't" 

"  But  I  don't  understand " 

"  You  know  well  enough  that  the  Rovers  tried 
to  bribe  the  captain." 

"  Yes,  but  they  ran  away " 

"  Perhaps  it's  only  a  bluff,  Dan.  The  boys 
may  have  been  taken  to  another  part  of  the  island, 
from  which  Langless  can  transfer  them  to  the 
schooner  later." 

"  What,  and  desert  us !  "  groaned  the  bully. 

"  Yes,  and  desert  us.  I  think  we  were  foolish 
to  leave  the  Peacock  without  taking  the  captain 
or  Cadmus  along.  I  won't  trust  any  of  them  any 
longer." 

"  .Well,  what  shall  we  do,  dad;  go  back?  " 


196     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  It's  too  late  now.  The  Peacock  has  gotten 
under  way  long  ago." 

"  Well,  let  us  try  to  get  on  the  track  of  the  two 
boys.  Perhaps  we  can  follow  them  up  from  the 
cave.  If  all  of  the  footsteps  point  this  way  we'll 
know  the  captain  has  been  deceiving  us." 

Again  the  Baxters  moved  on,  and  so  did  Dick 
and  Peterson.  The  way  was  rough  and  made 
Dan  grumble  a  good  deal. 

"  We  ought  to  have  kept  this  game  all  in  our 
own  hands  from  the  start,"  said  the  former  bully 
of  Putnam  Hall.  "  We  made  a  rank  mistake  to 
take  Captain  Langless  into  our  confidence." 

"  I  won't  care  if  only  we  make  Anderson  Rover 
pony  up  that  money,"  answered  the  father. 
"  I'm  afraid  the  mine  scheme  will  have  to  fall 
through." 

"  What  did  you  strike  him  for  in  cash?  " 

"  Ten  thousand  dollars." 

"  You  ought  to  have  made  it  fifty." 

"  I  wanted  to  get  ten  first  and  double  that  after 
ward.  If  I  struck  him  too  high  first  I  was  afraid 
he  wouldn't  try  to  meet  me,  but  put  the  detectives 
on  the  track  without  delay." 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

AN    ENCOUNTER   IN    THE    DARK. 

A  LITTLE  while  later  the  Baxters  reached  the 
cave  where  Tom  and  Sam  had  been  held  prisoners. 

The  sailor  whc  had  been  left  bound  had  long 
since  been  releasec1,  so  the  place  was  deserted. 

"  Look  out  for  snakes,"  said  Dan.  "  We  had 
better  light  torches." 

This  was  done,  for  it  was  now  dark  under  the 
trees.  ' 

Hiding  in  a  thicket,  Dick  and  Peterson  saw  the 
Baxters  enter  the  cave.  The  pair  remained  in 
side  for  fully  quarter  of  an  hour,  and  came  out 
looking  much  disappointed. 

With  torches  close  to  the  ground  they  searched 
for  Sam  and  Tom's  trail. 

"  Here  are  footprints ! "  exclaimed  Arnold 
\  Baxter,  at  last.  "  They  are  not  made  by  men, 
jeither." 

"  They  must  be  the  boys',"  answered  Dan. 
"  Come  on,  let  us  follow." 

"  It  is  very  dark,  Dan.  I'm  afraid  we'll  have 
to  wait  until  morning." 

197 


1 98     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

Nevertheless,  the  pair  passed  on,  and  again 
Dick  and  Peterson  came  behind. 

Hardly  three  rods  had  been  passed  when  Dan 
Baxter  let  out  a  cry  as  some  small  wild  animal 
dashed  across  the  trail.  The  bully  turned  to 
run,  and  discovered  Dick  ere  the  latter  could 
hide. 

"Dick  Rover !  "  he  gasped. 

"  Rover!  "  cried  Arnold  Baxter.     "  What  are 

4 

you  talking  about,  Dan  ?  " 

"  Here  is  Dick  Rover !  And  that  lumber  fel 
low  is  with  him." 

"  Impossible!  Why,  Rover,  where  did  you 
come  from  ?  "  And  Arnold  Baxter  came  up, 
hardly  believing  his  eyes. 

"  We  were  following  you,  Arnold  Baxter,"  an 
swered  Dick  quietly. 

"For  what?" 

"  To  see  what  you  were  going  to  do  next  ?  " 

"  Have  you  found  Sam  and  Tom  ?  "  questioned 
Dan  quickly. 

"  Dan,  be  still !  "  thundered  his  father.  "  You 
are  always  putting  your  foot  into  it." 

"  I  reckon  you  chaps  are  fairly  caught,"  put  in 
Luke  Peterson. 

"  Caught  ?  "  came  from  both,  in  a  breath. 

"  Yes,  caught,"  said  Dick.  "  We  did  not  fol 
low  you  for  nothing." 


AN  ENCOUNTER  IN   THE  DARK.,          1 99 

"  Perhaps  you  are  the  ones  who  are  caught," 
said  Arnold  Baxter,  with  a  sickly  smile. 

"  Hardly,"  and  Dick  showed  his  pistol.  "  We 
are  well  armed,  Arnold  Baxter,  and  will  stand  no 
fooling." 

"  We  are  armed,  too "  began  Dan,  but  his 

parent  stopped  him. 

"Of  course  you  came  to  this  island  on  a  boat 
of  some  sort,"  went  on  the  elder  Baxter. 

"  How  else  could  we  come  ?  The  mainland  is 
miles  away." 

"  Where  is  your  boat?  " 

"  Not  far  off,  and  well  manned,  too,"  added 
Dick.  "  We  came  not  alone  to  capture  you,  but 
also  the  Peacock  and  all  on  board." 

At  this  announcement  the  faces  of  the  Baxters 
fell,  and  Dan  actually  trembled. 

"  Where  is  your  boat?  "  repeated  Arnold  Bax 
ter. 

"  As  I  just  told  you,  not  far  off.  The  question 
is,  will  you  submit  quietly,  or  must  I  summon 
help?" 

"Submit  to  what?" 

"  Submit  to  being  taken  to  our  boat." 

"  You  have  no  right  to  make  me  go  to  your 
boat." 

"  I'll  be  hanged  if  I'll  go,"  growled  Dan. 

"  And  you  may  be  shot  if  you  don't  go,"  an- 


200     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE    GREAT  LAKES. 

swered  Dick  significantly.  "  I  know  you  well, 
and  I  shall  take  no  further  chances  with  you. 
Now  will  you  go  or  not?  " 

"  I  suppose,  if  we  don't  go,  you'll  bring  some 
officers  here  to  compel  us  to  do  as  you  wish." 

"  Exactly." 

"  You  may  as  well  give  in,"  said  Peterson. 
"  This  island  is  not  large,  and  even  if  you  try  to 
run  away  you'll  be  found,  sooner  or  later.  The 
Peacock  is  probably  already  captured,  and  those 
on  our  boat  will  see  that  no  other  boat  comes  near 
here  until  we  have  you  safe  on  board.  The  jig 
is  up." 

"  I  won't  give  in ! "  cried  Arnold  Baxter. 
"  Come,  Dan !  "  He  caught  his  son  by  the  arm, 
and  both  turned  and  sped  into  the  nearest  brush. 

It  was  dark,  the  torches  having  died  low,  and 
before  Dick  could  shoot,  even  if  he  wished  to  do 
so,  the  pair  of  rascals  were  out  of  sight. 

"  Stop !  "  said  Dick  to  Peterson,  who  was  for 
following  them  up.  "  We  can  do  nothing  in  the 
darkness.  Let  them  go.  To-morrow  is  another 
day.  Let  us  return  to  the  Rocket  and  take  steps 
to  capture  the  Peacock" 

"  Yes,  and  we  must  get  back  to  Larry,"  said 
the  lumberman. 

It  was  no  easy  matter  to  find  their  way  back  to 
the  treasure  cave,  and  they  missed  the  direction 


AN  ENCOUNTER  IN   THE  DARK  2OI 

half  a  dozen  times.  When  they  did  get  back  it 
was  so  gloomy  in  the  bushes  that  they  had  to  call 
out  to  Larry,  in  order  to  locate  him. 

"  Gracious !  I  was  afraid  you  would  never  come 
back,"  said  the  youth. 

"  We've  had  quite  an  adventure,"  replied  Dick, 
and  related  the  particulars. 

Larry's  ankle  was  somewhat  better,  and  by 
leaning  on  both  Dick  and  Peterson  he  managed  to 
hobble  along  to  where  the  Rocket's  small  boat  had 
landed  them. 

The  steam  tug  was  close  at  hand,  and  they  were 
soon  on  board. 

"  Is  the  screw  repaired  ? "  was  Dick's  first 
question. 

"  Not  quite,  but  it  will  be  inside  of  half  an 
hour,"  answered  Jack  Parsons. 

"  Have  you  seen  anything  of  the  Peacock? 
She  is  sailing  around  the  island." 

"  No,  haven't  seen  any  sail  since  you  left 
\Ve " 

A  cry  from  the  lookout  interrupted  the  captain. 

"  Here  comes  the  Peacock!  " 

The  report  was  true,  and  all  crowded  forward 
to  catch  sight  of  the  schooner  in  the  darkness. 

The  stars  made  it  fairly  light  on  the  water  and, 
as  the  schooner  came  up  close  to  the  steam  tug, 
Dick  made  out  several  figures  on  board. 


202      ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

"Ahoy,  what  tug  is  that?"  came  from  the! 
schooner. 

"The  Rocket,"  answered  Parsons.  "What 
schooner  is  that?  " 

To  this  there  was  no  answer. 

"What  are  you  doing  here?"  asked  Captain 
Langless  instead. 

"  We  are  in  trouble,"  returned  Parsons,  after 
whispering  with  Dick. 

"What's  up?" 

"  We've  had  a  breakdown." 

"  Seen  anybody  from  the  island?  " 

"  Why,  we  thought  this  island  was  deserted." 

"  So  it  is." 

"  Come  up  closer  and  give  us  a  lift." 

"  Can't,  we  are  behind  time  now.'* 

Then,  without  warning,  a  Bengal  light  was  lit 
on  board  of  the  schooner.  A  large  reflector  was 
placed  behind  the  light,  which  was  thus  cast  on 
the  deck  of  the  Rocket.  At  once  Dick,  Peterson, 
and  the  others  were  exposed  to  the  gaze  of  Cap 
tain  Langless. 

"  Ha !  I  suspected  as  much !  "  roared  the  mas-; 
ter  of  the  schooner.     "  Sheer  off,   Wimble,  or 
the  game  is  up !  " 

The  helm  of  the  Peacock  was  at  once  thrown 
over,  and  she  began  to  move  off.  A  stiff  breeze 
caused  her  to  make  rapid  progress. 


AN  ENCOUNTER  IN    THE  DARK.  203 

"  Stop !  "  cried  Dick.  "  Stop,  or  we  will  fire 
on  you !  " 

He  had  scarcely  spoken  when  the  report  of  a 
pistol  rang  out  and  a  bullet  cut  through  the  air 
over  his  head. 

"  Let  that  be  a  warning  to  you  to  leave  us 
alone!"  cried  Captain  Langless. 

Then  the  schooner  increased  her  speed,  the 
flare  from  the  Bengal  light  died  out,  and  soon 
the  Peawck  was  lost  to  view  in  the  darkness. 


CHAPTER  XXV. 

BEACHING    THE    "  WELLINGTON/' 

"How  is  this  for  a  turn  of  fortune?"  re 
marked  Tom,  as  he  and  Sam  stood  on  the  deck  of 
the  Wellington  and  watched  the  shore  of  Needle 
Point  Island  fading  from  view  in  the  distance. 

"  It's  all  right,  if  only  we  can  make  those  Ca 
nadians  obey  us,"  replied  the  youngest  of  the 
Rovers.  "  They  don't  seem  to  like  matters  much. 
They  look  dark  and  distrustful." 

"  I  don't  think  they'll  make  trouble,  Sam." 

"  Josiah  Crabtree  seems  thoroughly  cowed." 

"  Don't  trust  him.  He  is  worse  than  a  snake 
in  the  grass  and  he  hates  us  worse  than  poison." 

The  two  paced  the  deck  thoughtfully.  Mrs. 
Stanhope  was  still  in  the  cabin,  in  the  company  of 
one  of  the  sailors'  wives,  while  the  former  teacher 
of  Putnam  Hall  also  kept  out  of  sight. 

"  This  seems  an  old  tub  of  a  boat,"  went  on 
Tom,  a  few  minutes  later.  "  I  wonder  that  Crab- 
tree  didn't  hire  something  better.  She  just 
crawls  along,  and  no  more." 

"  Probably  he  got  the  boat  cheap.     He  always 


BEACHING    THE   "WELLINGTON."  205 

was  the  one  to  go  in  for  cheap  things."  And  in 
his  surmise  the  lad  was  correct. 

It  was  not  long  before  one  of  the  Canadians 
took  hold  of  a  hand-pump  near  the  bow  of  the 
boat  and  began  to  pump  the  water  out  of  the  hold. 

"  Hullo,  your  old  tub  leaks,  eh  ?  "  said  Tom. 

"  Yees,  heem  leak  some,"  answered  the  fat  Ca 
nadian.  "  Heem  want  some  what-you-call-heem, 
tar;  hey?  "  And  he  smiled  broadly. 

"  Any  danger  of  sinking  ?  " 

At  this  the  Canadian  shook  his  head.  Then  he 
went  to  pumping  at  a  faster  rate  than  ever. 

"  I  believe  he  is  afraid,"  said  Tom  to  Sam. 
"  She  must  leak  fearfully,  or  he  wouldn't  pump 
up  so  much  water." 

"  Well,  the  journey  to  the  mainland  won't  last 
forever — that's  one  satisfaction,  Tom.  I  reckon 
the  tub  is  good  for  that  much  of  a  run.  I  don't 
care  what  becomes  of  her  after  we  are  ashore." 

"  Nor  I.  She  can  sink  if  she  wishes,  with 
Crabtree  on  board,  too." 

"  Sink !  "  cried  a  voice  behind  them.  "  Is  there 
danger  of  the  ship  going  down?  I  noticed  that 
she  was  leaking  yesterday." 

It  was  Josiah  Crabtree  who  spoke.  He  had 
just  come  up  and  he  was  very  pale. 

"  I  guess  she'll  keep  up  a  few  minutes  longer," 
said  Tom  soberly. 


206     ROVER  BOYS  ON    THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  A  few  minutes !  Oh,  dear !  if  we  did  sink 
•what  would  become  of  us?  " 

"  Why,  if  we  did  sink  we'd  sink,  that's  all." 

"  I  mean,  if  the  ship  sunk  what  \vould  we  do  ?  " 

"  You  might  wade  ashore,  if  your  legs  are  long 
enough." 

"  But  this  is  no  joking  matter,  Thomas.  The 
lake  is  very  deep  out  here." 

"  Then  you  had  better  find  a  life-preserver." 

Josiah  Crabtree  gave  something  of  a  groan  and 
moved  away.  He  did  not  know  whether  Tom 
was  poking  fun  at  him  or  not.  Yet  he  did  search 
for  a  preserver — and  in  doing  that  he  was  wiser 
than  the  boys  had  anticipated. 

Presently  the  wind  veered  around  and  the  yards 
came  over  with  a  bang.  The  Wellington  gave  a 
lurch,  and  there  was  a  strange  creaking  and  crack 
ing  far  below  the  deck.  The  Canadian  pumped 
more  madly  than  ever,  and  shouted  to  his  com 
panion  in  French. 

"  Is  she  leaking  worse?  "  asked  Tom. 

The  Canadian  nodded.  Then  the  Wellington 
gave  another  lurch,  and  Tom  noticed  that  her 
bow  gave  an  odd  little  dip. 

"  Filling  with  water,  I'll  be  bound,"  he  mut 
tered,  and  running  to  the  hatch  he  sounded  the 
well  hole.  There  were  sixteen  inches  of  water 
below.  Soon  it  measured  seventeen  inches. 


BEACHING   THE   "WELLINGTON."  207 

"  We've  sprung  a  bad  leak,"  he  announced  to 
Sam.  "  It  looks  as  if  we  might  go  to  the  bot 
tom." 

"  Oh,  Tom,  you  don't  mean  it !  " 

"  Yes,  I  do." 

"  Can't  we  turn  back?  The  island  isn't  more 
than  two  miles  off.  It  may  be  safer  to  go  back 
than  to  keep  on." 

"  Exactly  my  idea,  Sam.  I'll  speak  to  the  Ca 
nadian  about  it." 

The  fat  sailor  was  still  pumping,  but  his  face 
was  full  of  despair. 

"  De  ship  he  go  down,"  he  gasped.  "  We 
drown  in  ze  lake !  " 

"  Better  turn  back  to  the  island,"  returned 
Tom.  "  And  lose  no  time  about  it." 

"  Yees !  yees !  zat  ees  best.  We  turn  heem 
back!" 

The  Canadian  shouted  to  his  companion,  who 
was  at  the  wheelt  and  then  left  the  pump  to  at 
tend  to  ^he  sails.  At  once  Tom  took  his  place  at 
the  pump,  at  the  same  time  calling  to  Sam  to  go 
down  for  Mrs.  Stanhope. 

"  Tell  her  to  come  on  deck,"  he  said.  "  And 
find  some  life-preservers,  if  you  can." 

"  What  of  the  rowboat?  " 

"  It's  as  rotten  as  the  ship,  Sam.  We'll  have 
to  swim  for  it,  if  this  tub  sinks." 


208      ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

Sam  disappeared  into  the  cabin  and  Tom, 
turned  to  the  pumping.  Never  had  he  worked  so 
hard,  and  the  perspiration  poured  down  his  face. 
tSoon  Mrs.  Stanhope  appeared,  her  face  full  of 

fear. 

i 

"  Oh,  pray  Heaven  we  do  not  go  down !  "  she 
murmured.  "  How  far  are  we  from  land?  " 

"  We  have  turned  back  for  the  island,"  an 
swered  Tom,  hardly  able  to  speak  because  of  his 
exertions.  "  We  are  not  much  more  than  a  mile 
away." 

"  A  mile !  And  how  long  will  it  take  us  to 
reach  the  island  ?  " 

"  About  ten  minutes,  if  the  wind  holds  out." 

The  Wellington  was  now  groaning  and  creak 
ing  in  every  timber,  as  if  she  was  aware  that  her 
last  hour  on  the  surface  of  the  lake  had  come. 
She  was,  as  Tom  had  said,  an  old  "  tub,"  and 
should  have  been  condemned  years  before.  But 
the  Canadians  were  used  to  her  and  handled  the 
craft  as  skillfully  as  possible.  They,  too,  pro 
vided  themselves  with  life-preservers  and,  when 
Sam  relieved  his  brother  at  the  pump,  Tom  did 
likewise. 

As  she  filled  with  water  the  ship  moved  more 
slowly  until,  despite  the  breeze,  she  seemed  to 
merely  crawl  along.  It  was  now  growing  dark 
and  the  island  was  not  yet  in  sight. 


BEACHING    THE   "WELLINGTON"  209 

Sounded  again,  the  well  hole  showed  twenty 
inches  of  water.  At  this  the  fat  Canadian  gave  a 
long  sigh  and  disappeared  into  the  forecastle,  to 
obtain  a  trunk  and  some  of  his  other  belongings. 
Sam  had  already  brought  on  deck  the  things  be 
longing  to  Mrs.  Stanhope. 

At  last  the  fat  sailor  uttered  a  welcome  cry. 
"The  island!  The  island!" 

"  Where?  "  questioned  the  others. 

The  sailor  pointed  with  his  hand.  He  was 
right;  land  was  just  visible,  and  no  more.  Then 
of  a  sudden  came  a  crash  and  a  shock  which  threw 
all  of  those  on  board  headlong. 

"  We  have  struck  a  rock !  "  yelled  Josiah  Crab- 
tree.  "  We  are  going  down !  "  And  in  his  ter 
ror  he  leaped  overboard  and  struck  out  wildly  for 
the  distant  shore. 

Sam  was  also  ready,  in  a  moment,  to  spring 
into  the  water,  but  Tom  held  him  back.  The 
''Wellington  settled  and  swung  around,  and  then 
sheered  off  the  rock  and  went  on  her  way.  But 
it  was  plainly  to  be  seen  that  she  could  float  but  a 
few  minutes  more  at  the  most. 

"  There  is  a  sandy  shore !  "  cried  Tom  to  the 
Canadians.  "  Better  drive  her  straight  in  and 
beach  her! " 

"  Good !  "  said  the  fat  sailor,  and  spoke  to  his 
companion  in  French.  Then,  as  well  as  they 


a  10     ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

•were  able,  they  brought  the  water-logged  craft 
around  to  the  wind.  Slowly  she  drifted  in,  her 
deck  sinking  with  every  forward  move.  Then 
came  a  strong  pull  of  wind  which  caught  the  sails 
squarely  and  drove  them  ahead.  A  grating  and 
a  slishing  followed,  and  they  ran  up  the  muddy 
shore  and  came  to  a  standstill  in  about  three  feet 
of  water. 

"  Hurrah !  saved !  "  shouted  Sam.  "  My,  but 
that  was  a  narrow  escape !  " 

"Where  is  Mr.  Crabtree?"  asked  Mrs.  Stan 
hope  anxiously.  "  Oh,  do  not  let  him  drown !  " 

They  looked  around  and  saw  him  in  the  water 
not  a  hundred  feet  away,  puffing  and  blowing  like 
a  porpoise. 

"  Save  me !  "  he  screamed,  as  soon  as  he  saw 
their  safety.  "  Don't  let  me  drown !  " 

"  You're  all  right,"  returned  Tom.  "  It's  shal 
low  here.  See  if  you  can't  walk  ashore." 

Josiah  Crabtree  continued  his  paddling,  and 
presently  put  down  his  feet  very  gingerly.  He 
could  just  touch  the  bottom.  Soon  he  was  in  a 
position  to  walk,  and  lost  no  time  in  getting  out  of 
the  lake  and  coming  up  to  the  bow  of  the 
Wellington. 

11  Oh,  dear,  this  is  dreadful !  "  he  groaned,  with 
a  shiver.  "  Throw  out  a  plank  that  I  may  come 
on  board." 


BEACHING    THE   "  WELLINGTON."  211 

"  Thought  you  were  tired  of  the  old  tub,"  said 
Tom  dryly. 

"  I  thought  she  was  surely  going  down, 
Thomas.  Please  throw  out  a  plank,  that's  a  good 
boy." 

The  Canadian  got  the  longest  plank  at  hand 
and,  resting  one  end  at  the  bow,  allowed  the  other 
to  fall  ashore,  in  a  few  inches  of  mud  and  water. 
Then  Josiah  Crabtree  came  up  the  plank  on  hands 
and  knees,  looking  for  all  the  world  like  a  half- 
drowned  rat. 


CHAPTER  XXVI. 

CRABTREE    JOINS    THE    BAXTERS. 

"  WELL,  we  are  no  better  off  than  we  were  be 
fore,"  remarked  Sam,  after  Josiah  Crabtree  had 
disappeared  in  the  direction  of  the  cabin  and  the 
two  boys  had  walked  forward  by  themselves. 

"  No,  we  are  no  better  off,  but  we  have  suc 
ceeded  in  rescuing  Mrs.  Stanhope  from  old  Crab- 
tree's  clutches,  and  that  is  something." 

"  True,  but  supposing  we  fall  in  the  hands  of 
the  Baxters  and  Captain  Langless  again  ?  " 

"  Can't  we  hold  them  at  bay,  if  they  try  to 
come  on  board  this  tub  ?  " 

"  Perhaps.  But  we  can't  remain  on  board  the 
Wellington  forever." 

Now  that  the  danger  was  over  the  lads  found 
that  they  were  hungry,  and  called  upon  the  sailors 
to  bring  out  what  food  the  craft  afforded.  They 
made  a  hearty  meal,  in  which  Mrs.  Stanhope 
joined.  Josiah  Crabtree  was  not  invited,  and 
had  to  eat  later  on  with  the  sailors  and  the  one 
sailor's  wife. 

"  This  wreck  may  throw  us  together  for  some 


CRAB  TREE  JOINS   THE  BAXTERS.          213 

time,  Crabtree,"  said  Tom,  later  on,  when  he  and 
the  former  school-teacher  were  alone.  "  I  want 
to  warn  you  to  behave  yourself  during  that  time." 

"  I  know  my  own  business,"  was  the  stiff  reply. 

"  Well,  you  keep  your  distance,  or  there  will  be 
trouble." 

"  Can  I  not  speak  to  Mrs.  Stanhope?  " 

"  When  she  speaks  to  you,  yes.  But  you  must 
hot  bother  her  with  your  attentions.  And  if  you 
try  your  hypnotic  nonsense  we'll  pitch  you  over 
board,"  and  so  speaking,  Tom  walked  off  again. 
Josiah  Crabtree  looked  very  black,  nevertheless 
he  took  the  youth's  words  to  heart  and  only  spoke 
to  Mrs.  Stanhope  when  it  was  necessary. 

By  the  time  supper  was  over  it  was  night  and 
time  to  think  of  getting  some  rest.  The  boys 
took  possession  of  one  of  the  staterooms  on  board, 
and  arranged  that  each  should  sleep  five  hours, 
Tom  taking  the  first  watch.  Mrs.  Stanhope  soon 
retired,  and  so  did  Josiah  Crabtree  and  one  of  the 
Canadians. 

Tom  found  the  fat  Canadian,  the  man  to  re- 
,  main  on  deck,  quite  a  sociable  fellow,  and  asked 
him  much  about  himself  and  how  he  had  come  to 
hire  out  with  Crabtree.  He  soon  discovered  that 
the  Canadians  were  honest  to  the  last  degree,  and 
had  gone  in  for  the  trip  thinking  all  was  above- 
board. 


»I4     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES, 

"  I  soon  see  ze  man  haf  von  bad  eye,"  said  the 
Canadian.  "  I  tell  Menot  I  no  like  heem.  Now 
he  has  brought  ruin  on  our  ship." 

The  Canadian  imagined  that  Crabtree  had  hyp 
notized  the  sailing  qualities  of  the  Wellington  as 
well  as  cast  a  spell  over  Mrs.  Stanhope,  and  Tom 
saw  no  reason,  just  then,  for  saying  anything  to 
the  Contrary. 

"  You  must  watch  Crabtree,"  he  said.  "  Don't 
let  him  get  you  in  his  power.  Stick  by  me  and 
my  brother,  and  you  will  be  all  right,"  and  the 
Canadian  promised. 

"  But  who  vill  pay  for  ze  ship?  "  he  questioned 
dolefully.  "  'Tis  all  Menot  and  myself  haf  in  ze 
worl' !  "  And  he  shook  his  head  in  sorrow. 

"  We  will  pay  you  well  for  whatever  you  do  for 
us.  The  balance  you  must  get  out  of  Crabtree." 
Then  Tom  gave  the  fat  sailor  a  five-dollar  bill, 
and  from  that  moment  the  pair  were  warm 
friends. 

Feeling  that  Crabtree  would  not  dare  to  do 
much  as  matters  stood,  Tom  did  not  take  the 
trouble  to  arouse  Sam  when  he  turned  in,  and  the 
brothers  slept  soundly  until  some  time  after 
sunrise. 

"  Say,  why  didn't  you  wake  me  up  ?  "  asked 
Sam  in  astonishment.  "  You  didn't  stay  up  all 
night,  did  you  ?  " 


CRAB  TREE  JOINS   THE  BAXTERS.  215 

"  Not  much !  "  answered  Tom,  and  spoke  of  the 
Canadian,  whose  name  was  Peglace. 

"Well,  what's  to  do?" 

"  I  must  confess  I  don't  know.  I  suppose  the 
Baxters  and  Captain  Langless  are  on  the  search 
for  us." 

"  More  than  likely." 

"  Then  we  had  better  lay  low  until  some  ves 
sel  comes  to  rescue  us." 

"  I  don't  think  very  many  ships  come  this 
way." 

"  Neither  do  I,  but  we  won't  despair.  Come, 
I'm  hungry  again,"  and  they  stirred  around  to 
get  breakfast. 

An  examination  showed  that  the  Wellington 
was  hard  and  fast  in  the  mud,  and  likely  to  remain 
exactly  as  she  stood  for  an  indefinite  time.  Wad 
ing  around  in  the  water  below,  the  Canadians  re 
ported  several  planks  broken  and  wrenched  loose, 
and  that  immediate  repairs  seemed  out  of  the 
question. 

"  Ze  ship  ees  gone,"  said  Peglace  sadly.  "  We 
iair  like  zat  man,  what-you-call-heem,  Crusoe 
Robinson,  hey?  "  And  he  shook  his  head. 

"  Well,  I  hope  we  don't  have  to  stay  as  long  on 
this  island  as  Robinson  Crusoe  remained  on  that 
other,"  remarked  Sam.  "  Tom,  I'm  going  for  a 
walk  on  shore." 


2l6      ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Can  I  go  with  you  ?  "  put  in  Josiah  Crabtree 
humbly.  "  I  am  tired  of  this  ship's  deck." 

"  All  right,  come  on." 

"  I  will  remain  with  Mrs.  Stanhope,"  said  Tom. 
"  Don't  go  too  far,  Sam." 

Sam  and  the  former  teacher  of  Putnam  Hall 
were  soon  over  the  side.  The  boy  came  down  the 
plank  easily  enough,  but  Crabtree  slipped  and 
went  into  the  water  and  mud  up  to  his  knees. 

"Ugh!  I  am  always  unfortunate!"  he  splut 
tered.  "  However,  since  the  weather  is  warm,  I 
don't  think  I'll  suffer  much." 

At  a  short  distance  up  the  beach  there  was  a 
headland,  covered  with  tall  trees.  Sam  decided 
to  make  his  way  to  this. 

"  I'm  going  to  climb  the  tallest  of  the  trees  and 
look  around,"  he  said.  "  You  can  go  along,  if 
you  wish." 

"  I  will  go,  but  I  cannot  climb  the  tree,"  an 
swered  Crabtree. 

To  get  to  the  headland  they  had  to  make  a  de 
tour  around  a  marshy  spot  and  then  climb  over  a 
number  of  rough  rocks.  The  exertion  exhausted 
Josiah  Crabtree,  and  he  soon  fell  behind. 

Reaching  the  headland,  Sam  gazed  around  anx 
iously.  He  could  see  a  long  distance  to  the  north 
and  the  west,  but  not  a  sail  was  in  sight. 

"  The  Peacock  ought  to  be  somewhere  around 


CRABTREE  JOINS    THE  BAXTERS.  217 

here,"  he  told  himself,  and  then,  coming  to  a  tall 
tree  with  low,  drooping  branches,  he  began  to 
climb  to  the  top. 

It  was  a  difficult  task,  for  the  tree  was  a  thickly 
wooded  one  and  a  veritable  monarch  of  the  forest. 
But  he  persevered,  and  at  last  gained  the  topmost 
branch. 

Here  the  view  of  the  island  and  its  vicinity  was 
much  extended,  and  he  could  see  not  only  the  bay 
where  the  Peacock  had  been  at  anchor,  but  also 
several  other  harbors. 

"  The  Peacock  is  gone !  "  Such  were  the  first 
words  which  escaped  him.  "  She  must  have  left 
the  island  altogether !  " 

With  anxious  eye  he  turned  his  gaze  to  the 
other  harbors,  and  suddenly  gave  a  start. 

"  A  steam  tug !  How  lucky !  "  He  had  dis 
covered  the  Rocket,  which  was  just  getting  up 
steam  in  order  to  follow  the  Peacock;  the  screw 
being  now  repaired  and  ready  for  use. 

As  fast  as  he  could  he  descended  to  the  ground, 
his  one  thought  being  to  tell  Tom  of  his  discovery, 
and  to  either  get  to  the  steam  tug  or  to  signal 
those  on  board,  so  that  the  tug  might  not  leave 
the  island  without  them.  He  had  noticed  the 
black  smoke  curling  up  from  the  stack,  and  knew 
that  this  betokened  that  steam  was  getting  up. 

"Sam  Rover!" 


2l8     ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

The  voice  came  from  behind  the  rocks,  like  a 
bolt  out  of  the  clear  sky.  Then  Dan  Baxter 
rushed  forward,  followed  by  his  father. 

Sam  was  taken  off  his  guard,  and  before  he 
could  do  anything  the  Baxters  had  him  by  both 
arms  and  were  holding  him  a  prisoner. 

"  Let  me  go !  " 

"  Not  much ! "  came  from  Arnold  Baxter. 
"  Where  are  your  brothers — I  mean,"  he  added, 
in  some  confusion,  "  where  is  Tom  ?  " 

"  Find  out  for  yourself,  Arnold  Baxter.  Let 
me  go,  I  say !  "  And  Sam  began  to  struggle. 

"  Daniel  Baxter,  is  it  possible !  "  came  in  Jo- 
siah  Crabtree's  voice,  and  he  emerged  from  the 
brushwood.  "  What  an  extraordinary  meet- 
ing!" 

"  I  should  say  it  was !  "  responded  the  bully. 
"  Where  did  you  spring  from  ?  " 

"  Perhaps,  Daniel,  I  can  ask  the  same  ques 
tion." 

"  Is  Tom  Rover  with  you?  " 

"  No,  he  is  on  a  ship  which  is  beached  a  short 
distance  from  here." 

"Alone?" 

"  No,  with  some  Canadians  and — er — Mrs. 
Stanhope." 

"Oh,  I  see!  the  same  old  game,"  growled  the 
bully.  "  Anybody  else  on  the  boat  ?  " 


CRAB  TREE  JOINS   THE  BAXTERS.          219 

"  No." 

"  If  that's  the  case  we  are  in  luck,"  came  from 
Arnold  Baxter.  He  gazed  at  Crabtree  sharply. 
"  Do  you  know  where  this  lad  came  from  ?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  " 

"  He  and  his  brother  Tom  escaped  from  us. 
We  brought  them  here," 

"  What !  I  thought  they  had  followed  me  and 
Mrs.  Stanhope." 

"  Hardly."  Arnold  Baxter  proceeded  to  bind 
Sam's  arms  behind  him.  "  Dan,  take  him  to 
yonder  tree  and  tie  him  fast."  Then  he  walked 
away  to  talk  to  Josiah  Crabtree. 

xThe  conversation  which  followed  lasted  for 
quarter  of  an  hour.  What  was  said  Sam  could 
not  make  out.  The  boy  wanted  to  get  away,  but 
was  helpless,  and  now  Dan  Baxter  took  away  the 
pistol  with  which  he  had  provided  himself.  A 
little  later  the  Baxters  and  Crabtree  moved  toward 
the  wreck,  leaving  him  bound  to  the  tree,  alone. 


CHAPTER  XXVII. 

HOW    TOM     WAS    CAPTURED. 

TOM  was  pacing  the  deck  of  the  wreck  in 
thoughtful  mood  when,  on  looking  up,  he  saw 
Josiah  Crabtree  coming  back  alone. 

"  Where  is  Sam  ?  "  he  called  out. 

"  Samuel  wishes  you  to  join  him  at  the  head 
land,"  replied  Crabtree.  "  He  thinks  a  boat  is 
coming  around  the  other  side  of  the  island." 

"Did  you  see  it?" 

"  No,  my  eyesight  is  failing  me  and  I  had  no 
spectacles  along." 

"  Well,  you  can  go  back  with  me,"  said  Tom, 
to  make  sure  that  the  former  teacher  should  not 
bother  Mrs.  Stanhope  during  his  absence  from 
v.the  Wellington. 

"  I  calculated  to  go  back,"  responded  Crabtree. 

Telling  Mrs.  Stanhope  that  he  would  soon  re 
turn,  Tom  left  the  wreck  and  followed  Josiah 
Crabtree  around  the  marsh  land  and  over  the 
rocks. 


HOW   TOM    WAS  CAPTURED.  221 

So  long  as  Crabtree  was  in  front  poor  Tom  did 
not  anticipate  any  treachery,  consequently  he  was 
taken  completely  by  surprise  when  the  Baxters 
fell  upon  him  from  behind  and  bore  him  to  the 
ground. 

"  Don't !  "  he  cried,  and  tried  to  rise.  But  Dan 
Baxter  struck  him  a  heavy  blow  with  a  club,  and 
then  pointed  the  pistol  at  his  head,  and  he  had  to 
submit. 

When  he  was  a  prisoner  Josiah  Crabtree  came 
back,  his  face  beaming  sarcastically.  "  The 
tables  are  turned  once  more,  Thomas,"  he  said. 
"  We  are  masters  of  the  situation.  How  do  you 
like  the  prospect  ?  " 

"  What  have  you  done  with  Sam?  " 

"  We  have  taken  care  of  him,"  answered  Ar 
nold  Baxter.  "  And  we'll  take  good  care  of  you 
after  this,  too." 

Tom  said  no  more,  but  his  heart  sank  like  a 
lump  of  lead  in  his  breast.  The  talk  of  a  ship 
being  in  sight  must  be  a  hoax,  unless  Crabtree 
referred  to  the  Peacock. 

The  Baxters  had  a  small  bit  of  rope  remaining, ; 
and  with  this  they  tied  Tom's  hands  behind  him/ 
Then  he  was  made  to  march  to  where  Sam  was  a 
prisoner. 

"What,  Tom!  you  too?"  cried  the  youngest 
Rover.  And  then  he  felt  worse  than  ever,  for  he 


822      ROVER  BOYS  OJV   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

had  hoped  that  his  brother  might  come  to  his 
rescue. 

Both  boys  were  tied  to  the  trees,  but  at  sosie 
distance  apart.  Then,  without  delay,  the  Bax 
ters  and  Josiah  Crabtree  hurried  off  toward  the 
Wellington.  The  Baxters  had  heard  that  the 
boat  was  not  much  damaged,  and  thought  that  it 
might  be  possible  to  patch  her  up  sufficiently  to 
reach  the  mainland,  and  to  do  this  ere  Dick  Rover 
and  his  party  discovered  them.  For  the  Peacock 
and  Langless  Arnold  Baxter  now  cared  but  little. 

"  She  has  left  the  bay,"  he  said  to  Dan,  "  and 
more  than  likely  has  abandoned  us." 

The  Canadians  were  surprised  to  see  Josiah 
Crabtree  returning  with  two  strangers,  and  Mrs. 
Stanhope  uttered  a  shriek  when  confronted  by  the 
Baxters. 

"  I  must  be  dreaming,"  she  murmured,  when 
she  had  recovered  sufficiently  to  speak.  "  How 
came  you  here  ?  " 

"  We  are  not  answering  questions  just  now, 
madam,"  said  Arnold  Baxter.  "  We  wish  to 
patch  up  this  boat  if  we  can,  and  at  once,"  and  he 
called  the  Canadians  to  him. 

As  can  be  imagined,  the  sailors  were  dum- 
founded,  especially  when  told  that  the  Rover  boys 
would  not  be  back,  at  least  for  the  present  They 
shook  their  heads. 


HOW   TOM    WAS  CAPTURED.  223 

"  Ze  ship  cannot  be  patched  up,"  said  Peglace. 
"  Ze  whole  bottom  ees  ready  to  fall  out." 

Arnold  Baxter  would  not  believe  him,  and 
armed  with  lanterns  he  and  Dan  went  below  to 
make  an  examination. 

"  What  does  this  mean  ?  "  demanded  Mrs. 
Stanhope  of  Crabtree,  when  they  were  left  alone. 
"  What  have  you  done  with  the  Rover  boys  ?  " 

"  Do  not  worry  about  them,  my  dear,"  said  the 
former  teacher  soothingly.  "  All  will  come  right 
in  the  end." 

Then  he  began  to  look  at  her  steadily,  in  an  en 
deavor  to  bring  her  once  more  under  his  hypnotic 
influence.  But,  without  waiting,  she  ran  off  and 
refused  to  confront  him  again. 

"  Follow  me  and  I  will  leap  into  the  lake,"  she 
cried,  and  fearful  she  would  commit  suicide,  he 
let  her  alone. 

The  examination  below  decks  lasted  nearly  an 
hour,  and  was  far  from  satisfactory  to  Arnold 
Baxter.  He  felt  that  the  Wellington  might  be 
patched  up,  but  the  work  would  take  at  least  sev 
eral  days,  and  there  was  no  telling  what  would 
happen  in  the  meantime. 

"  Dick  Rover  and  his  party  are  sure  to  find  us 
before  that  time,"  said  Dan. 

"  I  am  afraid  so,  Dan.  But  I  know  of  nothing 
better  to  do  than  to  remain  here." 


"4     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES, 

"  We  might  find  the  Peacock  and  make  a  new 
deal  with  Captain  Langless." 

"  Langless  is  a  weak-hearted  fool,  and  I'll  never 
trust  him  again.  We  would  have  done  much 
better  had  we  hired  a  small  boat  which  we  ceuld 
run  alone." 

"  But  what  shall  we  do,  dad?  " 

"  I  think  we  had  best  go  into  hiding  in  the  in 
terior  of  the  island.  We  can  take  a  store  of  pro 
visions  along  from  this  boat." 

"  Shall  we  take  the  Rovers  with  us  ?  " 

"  We  may  as  well.  We  can't  let  them  starve, 
and  by  holding  them  prisoners  we  may  be  able  to 
make  terms  with  Dick  Rover  and  his  friends." 

"  That's  an  idea.  I  reckon  Dick  will  do  a  lot 
rather  than  see  Tom  and  Sam  suffer." 

"  To  be  sure." 

"  Where  do  you  suppose  Dick  Rover  and  his 
friends  are  now  ?  " 

"  Somewhere  around  the  island,  although  I 
have  seen  nothing  of  their  boat." 

By  noon  the  Baxters  had  completed  their  plans 
and  left  the  boat,  carrying  with  them  a  load  of 
provisions  wrapped  up  in  a  sheet  of  canvas. 
They  invited  Josiah  Crabtree  to  go  with  them, 
but  that  individual  declined. 

"  I  cannot  take  Mrs.  Stanhope  along,"  he  said, 
"  and  I  will  not  desert  the  lady." 


HOW  TOM   WAS  CAPTURED.  22$ 

"  As  you  please,"  replied  Arnold  Baxter. 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  with  Tom  and  Sam 
Rover?" 

"  Take  them  with  us.  If  you  see  anything  of 
Dick  Rover,  don't  say  anything  about  us."  ) 

"  I  don't  wish  to  see  Dick  Rover,"  answered 
Josiah  Crabtree  nervously. 

"  If  the  Dick  Rover  party  leaves  the  island, 
we'll  come  back,"  put  in  Dan.  "  In  the  mean 
time,  if  I  was  you,  I'd  lay  low." 

Soon  the  Baxters  were  out  of  sight,  and  then 
Josiah  Crabtree  turned  to  have  another  talk  with 
Mrs.  Stanhope,  in  the  meantime  setting  the  Ca 
nadians  on  guard,  to  watch  for  and  hail  any  pass 
ing  sail  which  might  appear. 

In  his  wandering  on  the  island  Arnold  Baxter 
had  stumbled  across  a  convenient  cave  near  the 
headland  where  he  had  encountered  Sam  Rover, 
and  thither  father  and  son  now  made  their  way. 

The  cave  gained  they  put  down  their  bundles, 
which  included  a  quantity  of  rope,  and  then 
started  for  the  headland  to  bring  in  Tom  and 
Sam. 

The  headland  gained,  a  surprise  awaited  them. 
Both  boys  had  disappeared. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

THE    BAXTERS    TALK    IT    OVER, 

"  TOM,  we  are  in  a  fix." 

"  So  it  would  seem,  Sam.     Who  ever  dreamed 
of  running  across  the  Baxters  in  this  fashion  ?  " 

"  We  are  in  the  hands  of  a  trio  of  rascals  now, 
for  Crabtree  is  as  bad  as  the  others." 

"  Perhaps,  but  he  hasn't  the  nerve  that  Arnold 
Baxter  has.     What  shall  we  do  ?  " 

"  Try  to  get  free." 

"  I  can't  budge  an  inch.     Dan  Baxter  took 
especial  delight  in  tying  me  up." 

"  I  can  move  one  hand  and  if It  is  free! 

Hurrah!" 

"  Can  you  get  the  other  hand  free  ?  " 

"  I  can  try.     The  rope — that's  free,  too.     Now 
;,for  my  legs." 

?  Sam  Rover  worked  rapidly,  and  was  soon  as 
free  as  ever.  Then  he  ran  over  to  where  Tom 
was  tied  up  and  liberated  his  brother. 

"  Now,  what  shall  we  do?  " 

"  I  move  we  go  after  the  people  on  that  steam 


THE  BAXTERS    TALK  IT  OVER.  227 

tug  and  get  them  to  help  us  rescue  Mrs.  Stan 
hope." 

"  That's  a  good  idea,  and  the  quicker  we  go  the 
better." 

Sam  remembered  very  well  in  what  direction  he 
had  seen  the  tug,  and  now  set  a  straight  course 
across  the  island  to  the  cove. 

But  the  trail  led  over  a  hill  and  through  a  dense 
thicket,  and  long  before  the  journey  was  half 
finished  both  lads  were  well-nigh  exhausted. 

"  We  ought  to  have  followed  the  shore  around 
— we  would  have  got  there  quicker,"  panted  Tom, 
as  he  fairly  cut  his  way  through  the  dense  brush 
wood. 

"  I  hope  there  are  no  wild  animals  here." 

"  I  doubt  if  there  is  anything  very  large  on  the 
island.  If  so,  we  would  have  seen  it  before  this." 

So  speaking,  they  pushed  on  once  more.  The 
woods  passed,  they  came  to  a  swamp  filled  with 
long  grass.  They  hurried  around  this,  and  then 
into  the  forest  skirting  the  lake  shore. 

At  last  the  cove  came  into  sight.  Alas!  the 
steam  tug  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 

"  She  has  gone!  "  groaned  Sam.  "  Oh,  what 
luck! 

"  I  can't  see  a  sign  of  her  anywhere,"  returned 
Tom.  "  She  must  have  steamed  away  right  after 
you  came  down  the  tree." 


i 


228      ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  More  than  likely." 

Much  disappointed  and  utterly  worn  out,  they 
cast  themselves  down  in  the  shade  to  rest.  As 
they  rested  they  listened  intently,  but  only  the 
breeze  through  the  trees  and  the  soft  lap-lap  of 
the  waves  striking  the  rocks  reached  their  ears. 

"  I  never  thought  a  spot  on  our  lakes  could  be 
so  lonely,"  said  Sam  at  length.  "  Why,  it's  as  if 
we  were  in  the  middle  of  the  Pacific!  " 

"  I  trust  no  harm  befalls  Mrs.  Stanhope,  Sam. 
Perhaps  it  is  our  duty  to  go  back  to  her,  in  spite 
of  the  danger." 

"  I  was  thinking  of  that,  too.  But  we  are  only 
two  boys  against  two  men  and  a  boy,  and  they  are 
armed." 

"  I  think  the  Canadians  will  prove  our  friends 
in  a  mix-up.  They  hate  Crabtree,  for  they  half 
fancy  he  bewitched  their  boat." 

"  We  might  go  back  on  the  sly  and  do  some 
spying." 

"  That  is  what  I  mean." 

But  they  were  too  tired  to  go  back  at  once,  and 
spent  a  good  hour  near  the  beach.  Close  at  hand 
was  a  tiny  spring,  and  here  they  procured  a  drink 
of  water  and  took  a  wash-up,  after  which  they 
felt  somewhat  better. 

They  were  about  to  start  on  the  return  when 
Tom  suddenly  plucked  his  brother  by  the  sleeve. 


THE  BAXTERS   TALK  IT  OVER.  229 

"  Somebody  is  coming,"  he  whispered.  "  Let 
us  hide." 

They  had  scarcely  time  to  get  behind  some 
brushwood  when  the  Baxters  came  into  view, 
moving  very  slowly  and  gazing  sharply  around 
them. 

"  I  don't  see  a  thing,  dad,"  came  from  Dan 
Baxter  in  disgusted  tones.  "  I  don't  believe  they 
came  this  way." 

"  They  certainly  didn't  go  back  to  that  old 
boat,"  replied  Arnold  Baxter.  "  Let  us  take  a 
walk  along  the  beach." 

"  I  am  tired  to  death.     Let  us  rest  first." 

So  speaking,  Dan  Baxter  threw  himself  on  a 
grassy  bank  overlooking  the  lake,  and  Arnold 
Baxter  followed. 

Both  were  out  of  sorts  and  did  a  large  amount 
of  grumbling.  The  father  lit  a  short  briar-root 
pipe,  while  the  son  puffed  away  at  a  cigarette. 

"  I'd  give  a  hundred  dollars  if  a  boat  would 
come  along  and  take  us  to  the  mainland,"  ob 
served  the  father.  "  I  am  sick  and  tired  of  this 
game  all  through." 

"  So  am  I  sick  of  it,  dad.  We  made  a  mistake 
by  ever  coming  East,  it  seems  to  me." 

"  If  I  could  get  to  the  mainland  I  might  make 
money  out  of  it  even  so,  Dan.  Anderson  Rover 
may  have  sent  that  ten  thousand  dollars  to  Bay 


23°     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

City,  after  all.  He  thinks  an  awful  lot  of  his  sons, 
and  won't  want  a  hair  of  their  head  harmed." 

"  So  the  money  was  to  go  to  Bay  City.  You 
didn't  tell  me  that  before." 

"  I  wanted  to  keep  the  matter  secret." 

"  Who  will  receive  it  there?  " 

"  A  man  I  can  trust." 

"  Oh,  pshaw !  you  needn't  be  so  close-mouthed 
about  it,"  growled  the  son,  lighting  a  fresh  ciga 
rette. 

"  Well,  the  man's  name  is  Cowdrick — Hiram 
Cowdrick.  He  comes  from  Colorado,  and  used 
to  know  the  Roebuck  crowd." 

"  I  suppose  old  Rover  was  to  send  the  money  in 
secret?  " 

"  Certainly.  I  wrote  him  a  long  letter,  telling 
him  that  if  there  was  the  least  effort  made  to  fol 
low  up  the  money  on  his  part  the  lives  of  his  sons 
should  pay  the  forfeit." 

"  That's  the  way  to  put  it,  dad.  I  shouldn't 
wonder  if  old  Rover  sent  the  money  on." 

"  I'd  soon  find  out,  if  I  could  get  to  shore.  If 
I  had  the  money  the  boys  could  rot  here,  for  all 
I  care." 

"  Thank  you  for  nothing,"  muttered  Tom, 
under  his  breath.  "  Just  you  wait  till  I  have  a 
chance  to  square  accounts,  that's  all!  " 

"  Hush !  "  whispered  Sam.     "  They  must  not 


THE  BAXTERS   TALK  IT  OVER.  231 

discover  us."  And  then  Tom  became  silent 
again. 

"  Josiah  Crabtree  is  in  a  fix,  too,"  went  on  Dan, 
with  something  of  a  laugh.  "  He  don't  seem  to 
know  what  to  do." 

"Where  is  Mrs.  Stanhope's  daughter?" 

"  I  don't  know.  If  Crabtree  marries  Mrs. 
Stanhope,  it  will  break  Dora  all  up." 

"  Well,  that  isn't  our  affair.  But  it  is  queer 
we  should  run  together  on  this  island.  We 
can What  is  that  ?  A  sail !  " 

Arnold  Baxter  leaped  to  his  feet,  and  so  did 
Dan.  Tom  and  Sam  also  looked  in  the  direction 
pointed  out. 

There  was  a  sail,  true  enough,  far  out  on  the 
lake.  All  watched  it  with  interest  and  saw  it 
gradually  grow  larger.  Evidently  the  craft  was 
heading  directly  for  the  island. 

"She  is  coming  this  way,  dad!"  almost 
shouted  Dan. 

"  It  looks  so  to  me,"  replied  Arnold  Baxter, 
with  increasing  interest.  "  And  she  isn't  the 
''Peacock,  either." 

"  No,  she's  a  strange  ship — a  sloop,  by  her 

rig." 

The  Baxters  watched  the  coming  sail  eagerly, 
and  it  must  be  confessed  that  the  Rover  boys  were 
equally  interested. 


232     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"If  the  folks  on  that  boat  are  honest,  they  will 
surely  help  us  against  the  Baxters,"  murmured 
Sam. 

"  Just  what  I  was  thinking,"  replied  his 
brother. 

At  last  the  vessel  was  hear  enough  to  be  sig 
naled,  and,  running  to  a  high  rock  overloking  the 
water,  Dan  swung  his  hat  and  a  handkerchief  in 
the  air. 

At  first  the  signals  were  not  seen,  tut  at  last 
came  a  voice  through  a  speaking  trumpet. 

"Ahoy,  there!" 

"  Ahoy !  "  shouted  Dan.  "  Come  here!  Come 
here!"  " 

"What's  the  trouble?" 

"  We  are  wrecked.  We  want  you  to  take  us 
off." 

"Wrecked?" 

"  Yes.     Will  you  take  us  off  ?  " 

"  Certainly." 

Slowly,  but  surely,  the  sloop  drew  nearer.  She 
was  a  fair-sized  craft,  and  carried  a  crew  of  three. 
The  men  seemed  to  be  nice  fellows,  and  not  at  all 
of  the  Captain  Langless  class.  Soon  the  sloop 
dropped  anchor  close  in  shore  and  the  mainsail 
came  down  at  the  same  time. 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

DORA    STANHOPE    APPEARS. 

"  So  you  have  been  shipwrecked  ?  "  said  the 
master  of  the  sloop,  a  young  man  of  apparently 
twenty-five,  whose  name  was  Fairwell. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Baxter  senior. 

"  Your  own  boat,  or  some  large  vessel  ?  " 

"  Our  own  boat.  We  were  out  on  a  little 
cruise  when  we  struck  something  in  the  dark  and 
our  craft  went  down  almost  immediately.  For 
tunately  we  were  not  far  from  this  shore,  or  we 
would  have  been  drowned.  Where  are  you 
bound?" 

"  Nowhere  in  particular.  How  long  have  you 
been  on  the  island  ?  " 

"  Since  night  before  last?  " 

"All  alone?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Had  anything  to  eat?  " 

"  Well — er — not    much,"    stammered   Arnold 
Baxter.     "  We  found  some  wreckage  with  some 
bread  and  a  few  cans  of  sardines,  but  that  is  all." 
333 


234     ROVER  BOYS   ON   7  H£   GXEAT  LAKES, 

11  Then  I  reckon  you  won't  go  back  oh  a  square! 
meal  ?  "  laughed  Fairwell. 

"  Indeed  I  won't !  "  put  in  Dan,  bound  to  say 
something. 

"  We  would  like  to  get  back  to  the  mainland  as 
soon  as  possible,"  went  on  Arnold  Baxter.  "  I 
am  from  Chicago,  and  must  attend  to  some  bank 
ing  matters.  My  name  is  Larson — Henry  Lar 
son  of  State  Street." 

"  Well,  Mr.  Larson,  we'll  get  you  to  the  main 
shore  as  soon  as  we  can;  that  is,  providing  the 
lady  who  has  hired  this  sloop  is  willing  to  go  on 
without  stopping  here.  I  reckon  this  young  man. 
is  your  friend  ?  " 

"  He  is  my  son.     And  you  are ?  " 

"  Randy  Fairwell,  at  your  service,  sir.  It's  too 
bad  you  were  wrecked,  but  you  can  be  thankful 
your  life  was  spared.  Seen  anybody  around  here 
since  you've  been  ashore?  " 

"  Not  a  soul." 

"Nor  any  sail?" 

"  Nothing.  It  has  been  very,  very  lonesome," 
and  Arnold  Baxter  shook  his  head  hypocritically.  . 

Tom  and  Sam  listened  to  this  talk  with  keen  j 
interest.     Tom  now  nudged  his  brother. 

"  This  has  gone  far  enough,"  he  whispered. 
"  Those  men  seem  all  right  and  I'm  sure  will 
prove  our  friends.  I'm  going  to  show  myself." 


DORA    STANHOPE  APPEARS.  235 

"  Wait  till  the  Baxters  go  on  board,"  replied 
Sam.  "  Otherwise  they  may  take  it  into  the.ir 
heads  to  run  away  again." 

A  few  words  more  followed  between  those  on 
the  sloop  and  the  Baxters,  and  then  the  latter  ran 
on  the  deck  of  the  sloop  by  means  of  a  plank 
thrown  out  for  that  purpose. 

Then  Tom  came  forward,  stick  in  hand,  and 
Sam  followed. 

"Hold  those  men!"  he  cried.  "Don't  let 
them  get  away  from  you !  " 

Of  course  the  men  on  the  sloop  were  much 
astonished,  both  by  the  boys'  sudden  appearance 
and  by  the  words  which  were  spoken. 

"  What's  that?  "  called  out  Randy  Fairwell. 

"  Those  Rover  boys !  "  ejaculated  Arnold  Bax 
ter,  and  his  face  turned  white. 

"  I  said,  Hold  those  men !  "  repeated  Tom. 
"  Don't  Let  them  get  away  from  you." 

"  What  for  ?     Who  are  you  ?  " 

"  Those  fellows  are  rascals,  and  the  father  is  an 
escaped  prison-bird,"  put  in  Sam.  "  Hold  them 
or  they  will  run,  sure." 

"It's  false,"  burst  out  Dan  Baxter.  "That 
fellow  is  crazy.  I  never  saw  him  before." 

"  I  guess  they  are  both  crazy,"  put  in  Arnold 
Baxter,  taking  the  cue  from  his  son.  "  Certainly 
I  never  set  eyes  on  them  before." 


*36      ROVER  BOYS   ON    THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Do  not  believe  one  word  of  what  he  says,'* 
said  Tom.  "  His  name  is  not  what  he  said,  but 
Arnold  Baxter,  and  he  is  the  man  who  got  out  of 
a  New  York  prison  by  means  of  a  forged  pardon. 
You  must  have  read  of  that  case  in  the  news 
papers  last  summer  ?  " 

"  I  did  read  of  it,"  answered  Randy  Fairwell. 

"  But — but "  He  was  too  bewildered  to  go 

on.  "  Where  did  you  young  men  come  from  ?  " 

"  We  were  carried  off  in  a  schooner  hired  by 
these  rascals  and  put  in  a  cave  on  this  island.  We 
escaped  only  after  a  hard  fight." 

"  But  why  were  you  carried  off  ?  "  asked  one  of 
the  other  men  on  board  of  the  sloop. 

"  These  Baxters  wanted  to  get  our  father  to 
pay  them  money  for  our  safe  return." 

"A  kidnaping,  eh?" 

"  It's  a — a  fairy  story,  and  these  fellows  must 
be  stark  mad!"  cried  Arnold  Baxter.  "I  give 
you  my  word,  gentlemen,  I  never  set  eyes  on  the 
chaps  before.  Either  they  are  escaped  lunatics  or 
else  their  lonely  life  here  has  turned  their  brains." 

For  a  moment  there  was  a  pause;  Sam  and  Tom 
standing  at  the  end  of  the  plank,  clubs  in  hand, 
and  the  Baxters  on  the  deck  of  the  sloop,  sur 
rounded  by  the  three  men  who  had  been  sailing 
the  craft.  Those  of  the  sloop  looked  from  one 
party  to  the  other  in  bewilderment. 


DORA    STANHOPE  APPEARS.  237 

"  Well,  I  must  say  I  don't  know  whom  to  be 
lieve,"  said  Randy  Fairwell  sjowly.  He  turned 
to  the  boys.  "  Who  are  you?  " 

"  Tom  Rover,  and  this  is  my  brother  Sam,"  an 
swered  the  elder  of  the  pair. 

"  I  never  heard  the  name  before,"  said  Arnold 
Baxter  loftily. 

"  They  don't  appear  to  be  very  crazy,"  put  in 
one  of  the  men,  whose  name  was  Ruff. 

"  That's  true,  but  they  mu£t  be  crazy  or  they 
wouldn't  address  my  father  and  me  in  this 
fashion,"  said  Dan  Baxter. 

"  They  can  talk  all  they  please,"  retorted  Sam. 
"  But  if  you  let  them  escape,  you  will  make  a 
great  mistake." 

"  Here  is  a  fair  suggestion,"  said  Tom. 
"  Take  us  all  to  the  mainland  and  to  the  nearest 
police  station.  The  authorities  will  soon 
straighten  out  this  tangle." 

"  That  certainly  seems  fair,"  muttered  Randy 
Fairwell. 

"  I  say  these  boys  must  be  crazy,"  blustered 
Arnold  Baxter.  "  If  you  take  them  on  board,  the 
chances  are  they'll  try  to  murder  us," 

"  I  don't  want  to  sail  with  a  couple  of  crazy  fel 
lows,"  put  in  Dan,  scowling  darkly  at  the  Rovers. 

"  We  might  keep  a  close  watch  on  them,"  sug 
gested  Ruff. 


«38     ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

"  And  keep  a  close  watch  on  the  Baxters,** 
added  Tom. 

At  this  moment  the  door  of  the  tiny  cabin  of 
the  sloop  opened,  and  a  girl  came  out,  rubbing  her 
eyes  as  if  she  had  been  taking  a  nap,  which  was  a 
fact. 

She  stared  at  the  Baxters  like  one  in  a  dream, 
and  then  gave  a  sudden  cry  of  alarm. 

"Is  it  you!" 

"  Dora  Stanhope !  "  ejaculated  Tom  and  Sam 
in  a  breath. 

Then  the  girl  started  and  turned  her  eyes 
ashore.  "  Tom  Rover !  And  Sam !  Where  in 
the  wide  world  did  you  come  from  ?  " 

The  Baxters  fell  back,  almost  overcome,  and 
the  father  clutched  the  arm  of  his  son  savagely. 

"  We've  put  our  foot  into  it  here,"  he  muttered. 

"  Who  would  have  supposed  that  she  was  on 
this  boat?-'xcame  from  the  son. 

"Do  you  know  these  folks,  Miss  Stanhope?" 
questioned  Randy  Fairwell. 

"  Yes,  I  know  all  of  them,"  answered  the  girl, 
when  she  had  somewhat  recovered  from  her  sur 
prise. 

"  Of  course  she  knows  us,"  put  in  Tom, 
"and  she  knows  those  rascals,  too;  don't  you, 
Dora?" 

"Yes,  Tom.     But  how  did  you  come  here?" 


DORA    STANHOPE  APPEARS. 

"  It's  a  long  tale,  Dora.  But  just  now  I  want 
you  to  help  me  bring  the  Baxters  to  justice. 
They  are  trying  to  make  out  that  they  are  all  right 
and  that  we  are  crazy." 

"  Crazy !  The  idea !  Indeed,  Mr.  Fairwell, 
these  boys  are  not  crazy.  They  are  my  best 
friends.  They  are  Tom  and  Sam  Rover,  and 
they  are  brothers  to  the  Dick  Rover  I  told  you 
about." 

"  And  what  of  these  fellows  ?  "  questioned  the 
master  of  the  sloop. 

"  This  man  is  an  escaped  prisoner,  and  this  is 
his  son,  who  is  also  wanted  by  the  authorities,  I 
believe." 

"  Trash  and  nonsense !  "  stormed  Arnold  Bax 
ter,  hardly  knowing  what  to  say.  "  This  is 
simply  a  plot  against  us."  He  caught  his  son  by 
the  arm.  "  Come,  we  had  better  be  going,  since 
we  are  not  wanted  here." 

He  leaped  upon  the  plank  and  Dan  came  after 
him. 

"  Get  back  there ! "  roared  Tom,  standing  at 
the  outer  end  of  the  plank.  "  Another  step  and 
I'll  crack  your  head  open,  Arnold  Baxter !  " 

And  he  swung  his  club  in  the  air  defiantly. 

"  Out  of  my  way,  or  I  will  fire  on  you !  "  an 
swered  Arnold  Baxter,  and  started  to  draw  his 
pistol. 


«4°     ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

"  Oh,  don't !  "  screamed  Dora,  and  covered  her 
face  with  her  hands. 

"  We  want  no  shooting  here "  began 

Randy  Fairwell,  and  then  stopped  short  in 
wonder. 

For  reaching  down,  Tom  had  suddenly  given 
the  end  of  the  plank  a  wabble.  Before  they  could 
save  themselves,  the  Baxters,  father  and  son, 
pitched  with  a  loud  splash  into  the  lake. 

"  Good  for  you!  "  cried  Sam.  "  If  only  they 
don't  try  to  shoot  when  they  come  up." 

There  was  a  commotion  in  the  water  and  mud 
lining  the  shore,  and  slowly  the  Baxters  appeared 
to  view,  covered  with  slime  and  weeds,  and  both 
empty-handed,  for  Dan  had  not  had  time  to  draw 
his  weapon,  and  that  of  the  father  lay  somewhere 
on  the  bottom. 

"  Now  do  you  surrender,  or  shall  I  do  a  little 
shooting?"  said  Tom  sternly,  although  he  had 
no  weapon. 

"  Don't  shoot  me,  please  don't !  "  howled  Dan, 
his  last  bit  of  courage  deserting  him. 

The  father  said  nothing,  but  looked  as  if  he 
would  like  to  annihilate  both  of  the  Rovers. 

Randy  Fairwell  turned  quickly  to  Dora  Stan 
hope. 

"You  are  certain  these  people  are  bad?"  he 
said. 


DORA    STANHOPE  APPEARS.  24! 

"Yes,  yes;  very  bad!"  answered  Dora,  and 
continued :  "  You  can  believe  all  the  Rovers  tell 
you  concerning  them." 

One  end  of  the  plank  still  rested  on  the  sloop, 
and  Fairwell  quickly  placed  the  board  in  position 
again. 

By  this  time  the  Baxters  were  crawling  out  of 
the  lake.  Sam  caught  hold  of  Dan  while  Tom 
tackled  the  father. 

With  a  heavy  boathook  in  his  hand  Randy 
Fairwell  now  ran  ashore,  followed  by  Ruff. 

"  You  had  better  give  up  the  fight,"  said  Fair- 
well  to  Arnold  Baxter.  "  If  you  are  in  the  right, 
you  shall  have  justice  done  to  you." 

"  I  will  never  give  in !  "  growled  Arnold  Bax 
ter  savagely,  and  did  his  best  to  get  away.  See 
ing  this,  Sam  let  Dan  go  and  started  in  to  help 
Tom.  The  struggle  lasted  several  minutes,  but 
Fairwell  put  an  end  to  it  by  catching  Arnold  Bax 
ter  from  behind  and  holding  him  in  a  grasp  of 
iron,  and  then  the  rascal  was  made  a  close  pris 
oner  by  being  bound  with  a  rope. 

"  Now  for  Dan ! "  cried  Tom,  and  turned 
around,  to  find  that  Dan  Baxter  had  taken  time  by 
the  forelock  and  disappeared.  It  was  destined  to 
be  many  a  day  before  any  of  the  Rovers  set  eyes 
on  him  again. 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

HOME    AGAIN CONCLUSION. 

"  DAN  is  gone !  " 

"Which  way  did  he  go?" 

"  I  don't  know." 

"  He  ran  up  the  shore,  in  that  direction !  "  called 
out  Dora,  pointing  with  her  hand. 

Leaving  Arnold  Baxter  in  the  grasp  of  Fairwell 
and  Ruff,  Tom  and  Sam  hurried  off. 

But  Dan  Baxter  had  disappeared  in  a  perfect 
wilderness  of  rocks  and  bushes  and  could  not  be 
located. 

"  Never  mind,"  said  Tom ;  "  let  him  go,  if  he 
wants  to  remain  on  this  lonely  spot." 

All  were  soon  on  board  the  sloop,  and  Tom  and 
Sam  told  their  tale,  to  which  Dora,  as  well  as  the 
others,  listened  with  close  attention. 

"  Then  my  mother  is  safe !  "  burst  out  the  girl. 
"  Thank  Heaven  for  that !  " 

"  She  was  safe  when  last  we  saw  her,"  said 
Tom.  "  I  guess  the  best  thing  we  can  do  will  be 
to  get  back  to  the  wreck  of  the  Wellington  with 
out  delay." 


HOME  AGAIN— CONCLUSION.  243 

"  Yes !  yes !  take  me  to  my  mother  at  once.  I 
have  been  hunting  for  her  ever  since  she  dis 
appeared." 

"  But  how  did  you  happen  to  come  here?  " 

"  I  found  out  that  Josiah  Crabtree  had  hired 
the  Wellington,  and  day  before  yesterday  we  ran 
across  a  steamboat  which  had  sighted  the 
schooner  headed  in  this  direction." 

"How  did  he  get  her  away  in  the  first 
place?" 

"  We  were  stopping  at  a  hotel  in  Canada  and  I 
went  out  to  do  some  necessary  shopping.  When 
I  got  back  my  mother  was  gone.  She  had  re 
ceived  a  bogus  note,  written  I  presume  by  Crab- 
tree,  asking  her  to  come  to  me  at  once,  as  I  had 
been  taken  sick  in  one  of  the  stores.  I  imme 
diately  hired  a  detective,  Mr.  Ruff  here,  and  we 
tracked  Mr.  Crabtree  to  the  lake." 

"  Good  for  you,  Dora, — a  man  couldn't  have 
done  better,"  cried  Sam  so  enthusiastically  that 
Dora  had  to  blush. 

"  But  now  I  want  to  get  to  mother  without 
further  delay." 

"  Let  us  set  sail  at  once,  then,"  said  Tom. 
"  The  distance  to  the  wreck  is  not  over  two 
miles." 

Without  delay  the  anchor  was  hoisted,  the 
mainsail  set,  and  the  sloop  left  the  shore.  She 


244     ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

was  a  trim-built  craft,  and  under  a  good  breeze 
her  bow  cut  the  shining  waters  of  the  lake  like  a 
knife. 

The  only  one  on  the  boat  who  was  not  in  good 
humor  was  Arnold  Baxter.  When  he  got  the 
chance  he  called  Tom  Rover  to  him. 

"  Rover,  what  do  you  intend  to  do  with  me?  " 
he  asked. 

"  We  intend  to  hand  you  over  to  the  authori 
ties." 

"  You  are  making  a  great  mistake." 

"  I'll  risk  that." 

"  If  you'll  let  me  go  I'll  promise  to  turn  over 
a  new  leaf,  and,  more  than  that,  I'll  help  your 
father  to  make  a  pile  of  money  out  of  that  mine 
in  Colorado." 

"  Your  promises  are  not  worth  the  breath  they 
are  uttered  in,  Arnold  Baxter.  You  belong  in 
prison,  and  that  is  where  you  are  going." 

At  this  Baxter  began  to  rave  and  utter  words 
unfit  to  print.  But  Tom  soon  stopped  this. 

"  Keep  a  civil  tongue  in  your  head,  or  we'll 
gag  you,"  he  said,  and  then  Baxter  relapsed  into 
sullen  silence. 

The  breeze  was  favorable,  and  it  was  not  long 
before  the  sloop  rounded  a  point  of  the  island  and 
came  in  sight  of  the  Wellington. 

"  Let  us  surprise  old  Crabtree,"  suggested  Sam, 


HOME  AGAIN— CONCLUSION  245 

"We  can  keep  out  of  his  sight  until  the  last 
ment." 

Tom  was  willing,  yet  Dora  demurred,  wishing 
to  get  to  her  mother  as  soon  as  possible.  Yet,  as 
they  drew  closer,  the  girl  stepped  behind  the  cabin 
for  a  minute. 

"  A  ship !  "  cried  Peglace,  who  was  on  watch 
on  deck.  "  A  ship  at  last,  and  coming  to  shore !  " 

He  uttered  the  words  in  French,  and  they 
speedily  brought  to  the  deck  his  companion  and 
his  companion's  fat  wife. 

"  A  ship,  sure  enough,"  said  the  other  Ca 
nadian,  while  his  wife  shed  tears  of  joy. 

Josiah  Crabtree  had  just  been  interviewing 
Mrs.  Stanhope  in  the  cabin.  He  was  trying 
again  to  hypnotize  her,  and  she  was  trying  to  keep 
from  under  the  spell. 

"  A  boat  must  be  coming,  by  the  cries,"  said 
the  former  teacher.  "  I  will  go  to  the  deck  and 
investigate." 

He  ran  up  the  companion  way,  and  Mrs.  Stan 
hope  followed.  The  lady  felt  weak  and  utterly 
discouraged. 

"  If  I  only  had  Dora  with  me!  "  she  murmured 
to  herself. 

"Did  you  speak?"  asked  Crabtree,  looking 
over  his  shoulder. 

"  Not  to  you,"  she  answered  coldly. 


246     ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

Soon  Crabtree  was  at  the  stern.  The  sloop 
came  closer,  and  a  rope  was  thrown  to  the  Well 
ington  and  made  fast  by  the  Canadians.  The 
smaller  craft  drew  so  little  water  that  she  did  not 
ground,  even  when  lying  at  the  larger  ship's  stern. 

"  Hullo !  "  began  Josiah  Crabtree,  addressing 
Randy  Fairwell.  "  This  is  most  fortunate." 

"  I  see  you  are  wrecked,"  returned  Fainvell 
calmly. 

"  Exactly,  sir — a  very  unfortunate  affair  truly. 
Will  you  rescue  us  ?  " 

"  Anybody  else  on  board  ?  " 

"  Yes,  a  lady  to  whom  I  am  engaged  to  be 
married,"  and  Crabtree  smiled  blandly.  "  Will 
you  come  on  board  ?  " 

"  I  guess  I  will,"  answered  Fairwell.  "  Eh, 
Mr.  Ruff?" 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  detective,  and  leaped  on 
the  deck  of  the  wreck. 

By  this  time  Mrs.  Stanhope  was  on  deck  also, 
gazing  curiously  at  those  on  the  sloop. 

"  I  believe  this  is  Mr.  Josiah  Crabtree?  "  went 
on  Ruff  coldly. 

"  Eh  ?  Why — er — you  have  the  advantage  of 
me !  "  stammered  the  former  teacher  of  Putnam 
Hall,  falling  back  in  dismay. 

"  Are  you  Josiah  Crabtree  or  not  ?  " 

"  I  am;  but " 


HOME  AG A IX— CONCLUSION.  £47 

"Then  consider  yourself  my  prisoner,  Mr. 
Crabtree." 

"  Your  prisoner ! " 

"  That  is  what  I  said." 

"  But  why  do  you  say  I  am  arrested  ?  Who  are 
you?" 

"  You  are  arrested  for  plotting  against  the  wel 
fare  of  Mrs.  Stanhope  there  and  Dora  Stanhope, 
her  daughter;  also  for  forging  Dora  Stanhope's 
name  to  a  letter  sent  to  the  girl's  mother." 

"It  is  false.     I— I Oh!" 

Josiah  Crabtree  staggered  back,  for  Dora  had 
run  forward.  In  a  second  more  mother  and 
daughter  were  in  each  other's  arms.  An  affect 
ing  scene  followed.  Josiah  Crabtree  turned  a 
sickly  green,  and  his  knees  smote  together. 

"  I — er — that  is,  we — the  lady  and  myself — 
there  is  some  mistake."  He  tried  to  go  on,  but 
failed  utterly. 

"  You  fraud,  you !  "  cried  Tom,  and  came  for-> 
ward,  followed  by  Sam.  "  Now,  Josiah  Crab- 
tree,  we  are  on  top,  and  we  mean  to  stay  there. 
.  Mr.  Ruff,  you  had  better  handcuff  him." 

"  I  will,"  returned  the  detective,  and  brought 
forth  a  pair  of  steel  "  nippers." 

"Handcuff  me!"  groaned  Crabtree.  "Oh, 
the  disgrace !  No !  no !  " 

"  You  ought  to  have  thought  of  the  disgrace 


248      ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKE*. 

before,"  was  Ruff's  comment,  and  the  next  minute 
the  handcuffs  were  fast  on  the  prisoner. 

A  shout  was  now  heard  from  one  of  the  Ca 
nadian  sailors.  He  was  pointing  to  the  north  of 
the  island,  where  a  steam  tug  had  just  hove  into 
sight. 

The  tug  was  coming  on  rapidly,  and  as  she 
drew  closer  Tom  and  Sam  made  out  a  youth  stand 
ing  on  the  cabin  top,  eagerly  waving  his  hand  to 
them. 

"  Dick !  "  cried  both  of  the  Rovers.  "  Dick, 
by  all  that  is  wonderful !  " 

It  was  indeed  Dick  and  the  Rocket,  and  soon 
the  steam  tug  came  up  to  the  stern  of  the  sloop 
and  made  fast. 

"Tom  and  Sam,  and  safe!"  burst  out  Dick, 
and  then  his  eyes  fell  upon  the  Stanhopes. 
"  Dora !  "  He  shook  hands  and  blushed  deeply, 
and  so  did  the  girl.  "  Why,  I  never  expected 
this!" 

"  None  of  us  did,"  answered  Dora  with  a  warm 
smile. 

"  And  your  mother,  too !  " 

"  It's  like  a  fairy  tale,"  put  in  Tom,  "  and  I  > 
guess  it's  going  to  end  just  as  happily  as  fairy 
tales  usually  do." 

It  took  some  time  for  each  to  tell  his  story. 
When,  it  came  to  Dick's  turn,  he  said  the  steam  tug 


HOME  AGAIN— CONCLUSION.  «49 

had  done  her  best  to  follow  up  Captain  Langless 
and  his  schooner,  but  had  failed  because  of  the 
darkness. 

"  She's  now  out  of  sight,"  he  concluded,  "  and 
there  is  no  telling  where  she  is." 

"Well,  let  him  go,"  said  Tom.  "We  have 
Arnold  Baxter,  and  he  is  the  chief  villain.  I 
don't  believe  Captain  Langless  will  e*/er  bother 
us  again." 

After  a  long  conversation  it  was  ckdded  that 
all  of  the  party  should  return  to  the  mainland  in 
the  steam  tug  and  the  sloop,  the  latter  to  be  towed 
by  the  former.  Dick  remained  on  the  sloop  with 
the  Stanhopes,  while  Josiah  Crabtre-e  was  placed 
in  the  company  of  his  fellow-criminal,  Arnold 
Baxter.  With  the  party  went  the  Canadian  who 
was  married,  and  his  wife,  leaving  the  other  Ca 
nadian  to  look  after  the  wreck  ijntil  his  partner 
should  return  with  material  with  which  the  boat 
could  be  patched  up. 

The  run  to  the  mainland  was  a  pleasing  one  to 
the  Rovers,  and  also  to  Larry  and  faithful  Aleck 
Pop.  The  negro  was  on  a  broad  grin  over  the 
safety  of  the  brothers. 

"  Dem  boys  beat  de  nation,"  he  said.  "  Neb- 
ber  gits  into  trouble  so  deep  but  wot  da  paddles 
out  ag'in  in  short  ordah ;  yes,  sah !  " 

During  the  trip  it  was  decided  by  the  Stan- 


25°     ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES. 

hopes,  on  Dick's  advice,  to  prosecute  Josiah  Crab* 
tree  to  the  full  extent  of  the  law.  Mrs.  Stanhope 
demurred  somewhat  to  this,  but  Dora  was  firm, 
and  when  the  case  was  brought  to  trial  Crabtree 
was  sent  to  prison  for  two  years. 

The  first  thing  the  Rover  boys  did  when  on 
shore  was  to  telegraph  to  their  father,  telling  him 
of  their  safety.  This  telegram  caught  Mr.  Rover 
just  as  he  was  about  to  arrange  for  sending  the 
ten  thousand  dollars  to  Arnold  Baxter.  He  was 
overjoyed  at  the  glad  tidings,  and  came  on  as  far 
as  Detroit  to  meet  the  whole  party. 

"  My  boys,  how  you  must  have  suffered !  " 
he  said,  as  he  shook  one  after  another  by  the 
hand.  "  In  the  future  you  must  be  more 
careful!" 

Arnold  Baxter  wished  to  see  Anderson  Rover, 
hoping  thereby  to  influence  the  latter  in  his  be 
half,  but  Mr.  Rover  refused  to  grant  the  inter 
view,  and  on  the  day  following  Arnold  Baxter 
was  sent  back  to  the  prison  in  New  York  State, 
there  to  begin  his  long  term  of  imprisonment  all 
over  again. 

There  was  much  speculation  concerning  Dan 
Baxter,  and  when  the  Rovers  went  back  to  the 
island  on  the  steam  tug, — to  obtain  what  had  been 
discovered  in  the  cave, — they  asked  the  Canadian 
on  the  wreck  if  he  had  seen  the  youth. 


HOME  AGAIN— CONCLUSION.  251 

"  Yes,  I  see  him,"  was  the  answer.  "  But  he  is 
gone  now.  He  went  off  in  a  small  boat  that 
touched  here  yesterday." 

"  It's  just  as  well,"  said  Tom.  "  We  didn't 
want  to  see  the  fellow  starve  here." 

But  at  the  cave  which  Dick  and  the  others  had 
discovered  he  changed  his  tune,  for  there  were 
many  signs  that  Dan  Baxter  had  visited  the 
locality.  The  money  which  had  been  lying  on 
the  dust-covered  table  was  gone,  likewise  the 
map  and  the  dagger. 

"  We  are  out  that  much,"  said  Dick  to  Larry 
and  Peterson. 

"  The  boxes  and  casks  are  no.  disturbed,"  re 
plied  the  old  lumberman. 

"  He  couldn't  carry  those,"  said  Larry.  "  Per 
haps  he  thinks  to  come  back  for  these  later." 

"  Then  we'll  fool  him,"  replied  Dick. 

All  of  the  goods  were  transferred  to  the  steam 
tug  and  taken  to  Detroit,  where,  after  remaining 
unclaimed  for  some  time,  they  were  sold,  the  sale 
netting  the  Rovers  and  their  friends  several  thou 
sand  dollars. 

One  odd-shaped  box  Dick  kept  as  a  souvenir. 
It  had  been  a  money  casket  and  was  lined  with 
brass.  Little  did  the  youth  dream  of  all  the 
strange  adventures  into  which  that  casket  was  to 
lead  him  and  his  brothers.  What  those  adven- 


a52      ROVER  BOYS  ON   THE   GREAT  LAKES. 

tures  were  will  be  told  in  another  volume  of  this 
series  to  be  entitled,  "  THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE 
MOUNTAINS;  or,  A  HUNT  FOR  FUN  AND  FOR 
TUNE." 

The  home-coming-  of  the  three  boys  was  cele 
brated  in  grand  style,  not  alone  by  the  Rovers, 
but  by  many  of  their  friends,  who  flocked  in  from 
far  and  near  to  see  them.  Captain  Putnam  was 
there,  along  with  many  of  their  old  schoolfellows. 

"  It's  good  to  be  home  once  more,"  said  Sam. 

"  Especially  with  so  many  friends  around  you," 
added  Tom. 

"  And  after  escaping  from  so  many  perils/* 
came  from  Dick. 

And  here  let  us  leave  them,  wishing  them  well, 
both  for  the  present  and  the  future. 


THE    END. 


THE  FAMOUS  ROVER  BOYS  SERIES' 

By  ARTHUR  W.  WINFIELD 

American  Stories  of  American  Boys  and  Girls 


A     MILLION    AND    A    HALF    COPIES    SOLD    OF    THIS    SERIES 
12mo.  CLOTH.          UNIFORM  STYLE  OF  BINDING.  COLORED  WRAPPERS. 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  SCHOOL 

Or  The  Cadets  of  Putnam  Hall 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  OCEAN 

Or   A    Chase   for    a    Fortune 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  JUNGLE 

Or  Stirring  Adventures  in  Africa 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  OUT  WEST 

Or  The  Search  for  a  Lost  Mine 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  GREAT  LAKES 

Or  The  Secret  of  the  Island  Cave 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  MOUNTAINS 

Or  A  Hunt  for  Fame  and  Fortune 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  LAND  AND  SEA 
Or  The  Crusoes  of  Seven  Islands 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  CAMP 

Or  The  Rivals  of  Pine  Island 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  RIVER 

Or  The  Search  for  the  Missing  Houseboat 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  PLAINS 

Or  The  Mystery   of  Red  Rock  Ranch 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  SOUTHERN  WATERS 

Or  The  Deserted   Steam   Yacht 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  THE  FARM 

Or  The  Last  Days  at  Putnam  Hall 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  TREASURE  ISLE 

Or  The  Strange  Cruise  of  the  Steam  Yacht 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  AT  COLLEGE 

Or  The  Right  Road  and  the  Wrong 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  DOWN  EAST 

Or  The  Struggle  for  the  Stanhope  Fortune 
THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  THE  AIR 

Or  From  College  Campus  to  the  Clouds 

THE  ROyER  BOYS  IN  NEW  YORK 

Or  Saving  Their  Father's  Honor 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  ALASKA 

Or   Lost   in.   the  Fields   of   Ice 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  IN  BUSINESS 

Or  The  Search  for  the  Missing  Bonds 

THE  ROVER  BOYS  ON  A  TOUR 

Or  Last  Days  at  Brill  College. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK 


The    Putnam   Hall   Series 

Companion  Stories  to  the  Famous  Rover  Boys  oeries 
By  ARTHUR  M.  WINFIELD 

Open-air  pastimes  have  always  been  popular  with  boys,  ana 
should  always  be  encouraged.  These  books  mingle  adventure 
and  fact,  and  will  appeal  to  every  manly  boy. 

i2mo.    Handsomely  printed  and  illustrated. 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  MYSTERY 
Or  The  School  Chums'  Strange  Discovery 
The  particulars  of  the  mystery  and  the  solution  of  it  are  very 

interesting  reading. 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  ENCAMPMENT 
Or  The  Secret  of  the  Old  Mill 

A  story  full  of  vim  and  vigor,  telling  what  the  cadets  did  during 
the  summer  encampment,  including  a  visit  to  a  mysterious  old 
mill,  said  to  be  haunted.  The  book  has  a  wealth  of  fun  in  it 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  REBELLION 
Or  The  Rival  Runaways 

The  boys  had  good  reasons  for  running  away  during  Captain 
Putnam's  absence.  They  had  plenty  of  fun,  and  several  queer 
adventures. 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  CHAMPIONS 
Or  Bound  to  Win  Out 

In  this  volume  the  Putnam  Hall  Cadets  sh  DW  what  they  can 
do  in  various  keen  rivalries  on  the  athletic  field  and  elsewhere. 
There  is  one  victory  which  leads  to  a  most  unlooked-for  disco  very. 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  CADETS 
Or  Good  Times  in  School  and  Out 

The  cadets  are  lively,  flesh-and-blood  fellows,  bound  to  make 
friends  from  the  start.  There  are  some  keen  rivalries,  in  school 
and  out,  and  something  is  told  of  a  remarkable  midnight  feast  and 
a  hazing  that  had  an  unlooked  for  ending. 

THE  PUTNAM  HALL  RIVALS 

Or  Fun  and  Sport  Afloat  and  Ashore 

It  is  a  lively,  rattling,  breezy  story  of  school  life  in  this  country 
mitten  by  one  who  knows  all  about  its  pleasures  and  its  perplexi 
ties,  its  glorious  excitements,  and  its  chilling  disappointments. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP         - NEW  YORK 


The  Flag  and  Frontier  Series 

By  CAPTAIN  RALPH  BONEHILL. 

These  bracing  stories  of  American  life,  exploration  and  adventure 
should  find  a  place  in  every  school  and  home  library  tor  the  enthusiasm 
.they  kindle  in  American  heroism  and  history.  The  historical  background 
is  absolutely  correct.  Every  volume  complete  in  Itself. 

I2nio.     Bound  in  cloth.    Stamped  Jn  colors. 

.WITH  BOONE  ON  THE  FRONTIER,  Or  The  Pioneer  Boys  of 
Old  Kentucky. 

Relates  the  true-to-Iife  adventures  of  two  boys  who,  in  company  with 
their  folks,  move  westward  with  Daniel  Boone.   Contains  many  thrilling 
scenes  among  the  Indians  and  encounters  with  wild  animals. 
KIONEER   BOYS   OF  THE    GREAT  NORTHWEST,    Or  With 
Lewis  and  Clark  Across  the  Rockies. 

A  splendid  story  describing  in  detail  the  great  expedition  formed  un 
der  the  leadership  of  Lewis  and  Clark,  and  telling  what  was  done  by  the 
pioneer  boys  who  were  first  to  penetrate  the  wilderness  of  the  northwest. 
PIONEER   BOYS  OF  THE  GOLD  FIELDS,  Or   The  Nugget 
Hunters  of  '49. 

Giving  the  particulars  of  the  great  rush  of  the  gold  seekers  to  Califor 
nia  in  1849.    In  the  party  making  its  way  across  the  continent  are  three 
boys  who  become  chums,  and  share  in  no  end  of  adventures. 
WITH  CUSTER  IN   THE  BLACK   HILLS,  Or  A  Young  Scout 
Among  the  Indians. 

Tells  of  the  experiences  of  a  youth  who,  with  his  parents,  goes  to  the 
Black  Hills  in  search  of  gold.    Custer's  last  battle  is  well  described^ 
BOYS  OF  THE  FORT,  Or  A  Young  Captain's  Pluck. 

This  story  of  stirring  doings  at  one  of  our  well-known  forts  in  the 
Wild  West  is  of  more  than  ordinary  interest.    Gives  a  good  insight  into 
army  life  of  to-day. 
THE  YOUNG  BANDMASTER,  Or  Concert,  Stage  and  Battlefield. 

The  hero  is  a  youth  who  becomes  a  cornetist  in  an  orchestra,  and  works 
his  way  up  to  the  leadership  of  a  brass  band.     He  is  carried  off  to  sea 
and  is  taken  to  Cuba,  and  while  there  joins  a  military  band  which  accom 
panies  our  soldiers  in  the  attack  on  Santiago. 
OFF  FOR  HAW  AH,  Or  The  Mystery  of  a  Great  Volcano. 

Several  boys  start  on  a  tour  of  the  Hawaiian  Islands.     They  have 
heard  that  there  is  a  treasure  located  in  the  vicinity  of  Kilauea,  the  larg 
est  active  volcano  in  the  world,  and  go  in  search  of  it. 
A  SAILOR  BOY  WITH  DEWEY,  Or  Afloat  in  the  Philippines. 

The  story  of  Dewey's  victory  in  Manila  Bayn  as  it'appeared  to  a  real, 
five  American  youth  who  was  in  the  navy  at  the  time.    Many  adventures 
in  Manila  and  hi  the  interior  follow. 
WHEN  SANTIAGO  FELL,  Or  The  War  Adventures  of  Two  Chums. 

Two  boys  leave  New  York  to  join  their  parents  in  Cuba.  The  war 
between  Spain  and  the  Cubans  is  on,  and  the  boys  are  detained  at  Santi 
ago,  bwt  escape  across  the  bay  at  night.  Many  adventures  follow. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        I        NEW  YORK 


THE  DICK  HAMILTON  SERIES 

By  HOWARD  R.  GARIS 

A  Series  That  Has  Become  Very  Popular 

DICK  HAMILTON'S  FORTUNE 

Or   The   Stirring  Doings   of   a   Millionaire's   Son. 

Dick,  the  son  of  a  millionaire,  has  a  fortune  left  to  him  by  his 
mother.  But  before  he  can  touch  the  bulk  of  this  money  it  is  stipulated 
in  his  mother's  will  that  he  must  do  certain  things,  in  order  to  prove 
that  he  is  worthy  of  possessing  such  a  fortune.  The  doings  of  Dick 
and  his  chums  make  the  liveliest  kind  of  reading. 

DICK  HAMILTON'S  CADET  DAYS 
Or  The  Handicap  of  a  Millionaire's  Son. 

The  hero  is  sent  to  a  military  academy  to  make  his  way  without 
the  use  of  money.  Life  at  an  up-to-date  military  academy  is  described, 
with  target  shooting,  broadsword  exercise,  trick  riding,  sham  battles, 
etc.  Dick  proves  himself  a  hero  in  the  best  sense  of  the  word. 

DICK  HAMILTON'S  STEAM  YACHT 
Or  A  Young  Millionaire  and  the  Kidnappers. 

A  series  of  adventures  while  yachting  in  which  our  hero's  wealth 
plays  a  part.  Dick  is  marooned  on  an  island,  recovers  his  yacht  and 
foils  the  kidnappers. 

DICK  HAMILTON'S  FOOTBALL  TEAM 
Or  A  Young  Millionaire  on  the  Gridiron. 

A  very  interesting  account  of  how  Dick  developed  a  champion 
team  and  of  the  lively  contests  with  other  teams.  There  is  also  related 
a  number  of  thrilling  incidents  in  which  Dick  is  the  central  figure. 

DICK  HAMILTON'S  TOURING  CAR 

Or  A  Young  Millionaire's  Race  for  a  Fortune. 

Dick's  father  _  gives  him  an  automobile  made  to  live  in,  which  en 
ables  him  and  his  companions  to  have  a  good  time. 

DICK  HAMILTON'S  AIRSHIP 

Or  A  Young  Millionaire  in  the  Clouds. 

Tells  how  Dick  built  an  airship  to  compete  in  a  twenty  thousand 
dollar  prize  contest,  and  of  many  adventures  he  experiences. 

12mo.  Handsomely  printed  and  illustrated,  and  bound  in 
cloth  stamped  in  colors.  Printed  wrappers. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,         NEW  YORK 


The  Railroad  Series 

BY  ALLEN  CHAPMAN. 

Ralph  Fairbanks  was  bound  to  become  a  railroad  man,  as 
his  father  had  been  before  him.  Step  by  step  he  worked  his 
way  upward,  serving  first  in  the  Roundhouse,  cleaaing  loco 
motives;  then  in  the  Switch  Tower,  clearing  the  tracks;  then 
on  the  Engine,  as  a  fireman;  then  as  engineer  of  fhe  Over 
land  Express;  and  finally  as  Train  Dispatcher. 

In  this  line  of  books  there  is  revealed  the  whole  workings 
of  a  great  American  railroad  system.  There  are  adventures 
in  abundance — railroad  wrecks,  dashes  through  forest  fires,  the 
pursuit  of  a  "  wildcat "  locomotive,  the  disappearance  of  a 
pay  car  with  a  large  sum  of  money  on  board — but  there  is 
much  more  than  this — the  intense  rivalry  among  railroads  and 
railroad  men,  the  working  out  of  running  schedules,  the  get 
ting  through  "on  time"  in  t  spite  of  all  obstacles,  and  the 
manipulation  of  railroad  securities  by  evil  men  who  wish  to 
rule  or  ruin. 

Books  that  every  American  boy  ought  to  own.     - 

RALPH,  THE  TRAIN  DISPATCHER 

Or  The  Mystery  of  the  Pay  Car. 

RALPH  ON  THE  OVERLAND  EXPRESS 

Or  The  Trials  and  Triumphs  of  a.  Young  Engineer. 

RALPH  ON  THE  ENGINE 

Or  The  Young  Fireman  of  the  Limited  Mail. 

RALPH  OF  THE  ROUND  HOUSE 

Or  Bound  to  Become  a  Railroad  Man. 

RALPH  IN  THE  SWITCH  TOWER 

Or  Clearing  the  Track. 
i2mo.    Illustrated.    Handsomely  bound  in  cloth. 


GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,         -          NEW  YORK 


THE    TOM     SWIFT   SERIES 

By  VICTOR  APPLETON 

12mo.  CLOTH.        UMIFORM  STYLE  OF  BINDING.       COLORED  W3APPERS,  ~ 

These  spirited  tales  convey  in  a  realistic  way  the  wonderful  ad 
vances  in  land  and  sea  locomotion.  Stories  like  these  are  impressed 
upon  the  memory  and  their  reading  is  productive  only  of  good. 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  MOTOR  CYCLE 
Or  Fun  and  Adventure  on  the  Road 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  MOTOR  BOAT 
Or  The  Rivals  of  Lake  Carlopa 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIRSHIP 

Or  The  Stirring  Cruise  of  the  Red  Cloud 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  SUBMARINE  BOAT 

Or  Under  the  Ocean  for  Sunken  Treasure 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  ELECTRIC  RUNABOUT 
Or  The  Speediest  Car  on  the  Road 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  WIRELESS  MESSAGE 

Or  The  Castaways  of  Earthquake  Island 

TOM  SWIFT  AMONG  THE  DIAMOND  MAKERS 

Or  The  Secret  of  Phantom  Mountain 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  THE  CAVES  OF  ICE 

Or  The  Wreck  of  the  Airship 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  SKY  RACER 
Or  The  Quickest  Flight  on  Record 

.TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  ELECTRIC  RIFLE 

Or  Daring  Adventures  in  Elephant  Land 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  THE  CITY  OF  GOLD 

Or  Marvellous  Adventures  Underground 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AIR  GLIDER 
Or  Seeking  the  Platinum  Treasure 

TOM  SWIFT  IN  CAPTIVITY 

Or  A  Daring  Escape  by  Airship 

TOM  SWIFT  AND -HIS  WIZARD  CAMERA 

Or  The  Perils  of  Moving  Picture  Taking 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  GREAT  SEARCHLIGHT 

Or  On  the  Border  for  Uncle  Sam 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  GIANT  CANNON 

Or  The  Longest  Shots  on  Record 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  PHOTO  TELEPHONE 

Or  The  Picture  that  Saved  a  Fortune 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  AERIAL  WARSHIP 

Or  The  Naval  Terror  of  the  Seas 

TOM  SWIFT  AND  HIS  BIG  TUNNEL 

Or  The  Hidden  City  of  the  Andes 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP',  PUBLISHERS  NEW  YORK 


.THE  MOVING  PICTURE  BOYS 
SERIES 

By  VICTOR  APPLETON 

12mo.  BOUND  IN  CLOTH.       ILLUSTRATED.        UNIFORM  STYLE  OF  BINDING. 


Moving  pictures  and  photo  plays  are  famous  the  world 
over,  and  in  this  line  of  books  the  reader  is  given  a  full 
description  of  how  the  films  are  made  —  the  scenes  of  little 
dramas,  indoors  and  out,  trick  pictures  to  satisfy  the  curious, 
soul-stirring  pictures  of  city  affairs,  life  in  the  Wild  West, 
among  the  cowboys  and  Indians,  thrilling  rescues  along  the 
seacoast,  the  daring  of  picture  hunters  in  the  jungle  among 
savage  beasts,  and  the  great  risks  run  in  picturing  conditions 
in  a  land  of  earthquakes.  The  volumes  teem  with  adven 
tures  and  will  be  found  interesting  from  first  chapter  to  last,  \ 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  BOYS 
Or  Perils  of  a  Great  City  Depicted. 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  BOYS  IN  THE  WEST 
Or  Taking  Scenes  Among  the  Cowboys  and  Indians. 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  BOYS  ON  THE  COAST 
Or  Showing  the  Perils  of  the  Deep. 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  BOYS  IN  THE  JUNGLE 
Or  Stirring  Times  Among  the  Wild  Animals. 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  BOYS  IN  EARTHQUAKE 
Or  Working  Amid  Many  Perils.  LAND 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  BOYS  AND  THE  FLOOD, 
Or    Perilous   Days   on  the   Mississippi. 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  BOYS  AT  PANAMA  , 
Or  Stirring  Adventures  Along  the  Great  Canal. 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  BOYS  UNDER  THE  SEA 
Or  The  Treasure  of  the  Lost  Ship. 


GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,         PUBLISHERS,         NEW  YORK 


THE    MOTION    PICTURE 
CHUMS    SERIES 

By  VICTOR  APPLETON 

12mo.  BOUND  IN  CLOTH.        ILLUSTRATED.       UNIFORM  STYLE  OF  BINDING 

In  these  stones  we  follow  the  adventures  of  three  boys, 
who,  after  purchasing  at  auction  the  contents  of  a  moving 
picture  house,  open  a  theatre  of  their  own.  Their  many 
trials  and  tribulations,  leading  _  up  to  the  final  success  of 
their  venture,  make  very  entertaining  stories. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS'  FIRST  VENTURE 
Or  Opening  a  Photo  Playhouse  in  Fairlands. 

The  adventures  of  Frank,  Randy  and  Pep  In  running  a  Motion 
Picture  show.  They  had  trials  and  tribulations  but  finally  succeed. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS  AT  SEASIDE  PARK 
Or  The  Rival  Photo  Theatres  of  the  Boardwalk. 

Their  success  at  Fairlands  encourages  the  boys  to  open  their 
show  at  Seaside  Park,  where  they  have  exciting  adventures — also  a 
profitable  season. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS  ON  BROADWAY 
Or  The  Mystery  of  the  Missing  Cash  Box. 

Backed  by  a  rich  western  friend  the  chums  established  a  photo 
playhouse  in  the  great  metropolis,  where  new  adventures  await  them. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS'  OUTDOOR  EXHIBI 
TION 
Or  The  Film  that  Solved  a  Mystery. 

This  time  the  playhouse  vas  in  a  big  summer  park.  How  a  film 
that  was  shown  gave  a  clew  to  an  important  mystery  is  interest 
ingly  related. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS'  NEW  IDEA 
Or  The  First  Educational  Photo  Playhouse. 

In  this  book  the  scene  is  shifted  to  Boston,  and  there  Is  Intense 
rivalry  in  the  establishment  of  photo  playhouses  of  educational  value. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS  AT  THE  FAIR 
Or  The  Greatest  Film  Ever  Exhibited. 

The  chums  go  to  San  Francisco,  where  they  have  some  trials 
but  finally  meet  with  great  success. 

THE  MOTION  PICTURE  CHUMS'  WAR  SPECTACLE 
Or  The  Film  that  Won  the  Prize. 

Through  being  of  service  to  the  writer  of  a  great  scenario, 
the  chums  are  enabled  to  produce  it  and  win  a  prize. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,  PUBLISHERS,  NEW  YORK 


THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH 
SERIES 

By   GRAHAM  B.  FORBES 

Never  was  there  a  cleaner,  brighter,  more  manly  boy 
than  Frank  Allen,  the  hero  of  this  series  of  boys'  tales,  and 
never  was  there  a  better  crowd  of  lads  to  associate  with  than 
the  students  of  the  School.  All  boys  will  read  these  stories 
with  deep  interest.  The  rivalry  between  the  towns  along  the 
river  was  of  the  keenest,  and  plots  and  counterplots  to  win 
the  champions,  at  baseball,  at  football,  at  boat  racing,  at 
track  athletics,  and  at  ice  hockey,  were  without  number. 
Any  lad  reading  one  volume  of  this  series  will  surely  want 
the  others. 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH 
Or  The  All  Around  Rivals  of  the  School 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH  ON  THE  DIAMOND 

Or  Winning  Out  by  Pluck 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH  ON  THE  RIVER     , 
Or  The  Boat  Race  Plot  that  Failed 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH  ON  THE  GRIDIRON 
Or  The  Struggle  for  the  Silver  Cup 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH  ON  THE  ICE 
Or  Out  for  the  Hockey  Championship 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH  IN  TRACK  ATH 
LETICS 
Or  A  Long  Run  that  Won 

THE  BOYS  OF  COLUMBIA  HIGH  IN  WINTER  SPORTS 
Or  Stirring  Doings  on  Skates  and  Iceboats 

12mo.  Illustrated.  Handsomely  bound  in  cloth,  with  cover 
design  and  wrappers  in  colors. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,         NEW  YORK 


THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS  SERIES 

By  CAPTAIN  QUINCY  ALLEN 

The  outdoor  chums  are  four  wide-awake  lads,  sons  of 
wealthy  men  of  a  small  city  located  on  a  lake.  The  boys 
love  outdoor  life,  and  are  greatly  interested  in  hunting,  fish 
ing,  and  picture  taking.  They  have  motor  cycles,  motor 
boats,  canoes,  etc.,  and  during  their  vacations  go  everywhere 
and  have  all  sorts  of  thrilling  adventures.  The  stories  give 
full  directions  for  camping  out,  how  to  fish,  how  to  hunt  wild 
animals  and  prepare  the  skins  for  stuffing,  how  to  manage  a 
canoe,  how  to  swim,  etc.  Full  of  the  spirit  of  outdoor  life. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS 

Or  The  First  Tour  of  the  Rod,  Gun  and  Camera  Club. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS  ON  THE  LAKE 
Or  Lively  Adventures  on  Wildcat  Island. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS  IN  THE  FOREST 
Or  Laying  the   Ghost  of   Oak  Ridge. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS  ON  THE  GULF 
Or   Rescuing  the  Lost  Balloonists. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS  AFTER  BIG  GAME 
Or   Perilous   Adventures  in  the  Wilderness. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS.  ON  A  HOUSEBOAT 
Or  The  Rivals  of  the  Mississippi. 

THE  OUTDOOR  CHUMS  IN  THE  BIG  WOODS 
Or  The  Rival  Hunters  at  Lumber  Run. 

THE   OUTDOOR   CHUMS   AT    CABIN    POINT 
Or  The  Golden  Cup  Mystery. 

12mOo  Averaging  240  pages.  Illustrated.  Handsomely 
bound  in  Cloth. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,         NEW  YORK 


THE   BOBBSEY  TWINS    BOOKS 

For  Little  Men  and  Women 

By  LAURA  LEE  HOPE 
Author  of  "The  Bunny  Brown"  Series,  Etc. 

12mo.  BOUND  IN  CLOTH.       ILLUSTRATED.        UNIFORM  STYLE  OF  BINDING. 


Copyright  publications  which  cannot  be  obtained  elsewhere. 
Books  that  charm  the  hearts  of  the  little  ones,  and  of  which 
they  never  tire.  Many  of  the  adventures  are  comical  in  the 
extreme,  and  all  the  accidents  that  ordinarily  happen  to  youth 
ful  personages  happened  to  these  many-sided  little  mortals. 
Their  haps  and  mishaps  make  decidedly  entertaining  reading. 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  IN  THE  COUNTRY 
THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  THE  SEASHORE 
THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  SCHOOL 

Telling  how  they  go  home  from  the  seashore;  went  to  school  and 
were  promoted,  and  of  their  many  trials  and  tribulations. 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  SNOW  LODGE 

Telling  of  the  winter  holidays,  and  of  the  many  fine  times  and 
adventures  the  twins  had  at  a  winter  lodge  in  the  big  woods. 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  ON  A  HOUSEBOAT 

Mr.  Bobbsey  obtains  a  houseboat,  and  the  whole  family  go  off  on, 
a  tour. 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  MEADOW  BROOK 

The  young  folks  visit  the  farm  again  and  have  plenty  of  good 
times  and  several  adventures. 

THE  BOBBSEY  TWINS  AT  HOME 

The  twins  get  into  all  sorts  of  trouble — and  out  again — also  bring 
aid  to  a  poor  family. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,         NEW  YORK 


THE    BUNNY    BROWN    SERIES 

By  LAURA  LEE  HOPE 

Author  of  the  Popular  "Bobbsey  Twins"   Books 

Wrapper  and  text  illustrations  drawn  by 
FLORENCE  ENGLAND  NOSWORTHY 

12mo.  BOUND  IN  CLOTH.      ILLUSTRATED.      UNIFORM  STYLE  OF  BINDING. 


This  new  series  by  the  author  of  the  "Bobbsey  "Twins" 
Books  will  be  eagerly  welcomed  by  the  little  folks  from  about 
five  to  ten  years  of  age.  Their  eyes  will  fairly  dance  with  de 
light  at  the  lively  doings  of  inquisitive  little  Bunny  Brown  and 
bis  cunning,  trustful  sister  Sue. 


BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE 

Bunny  was  a  lively  little  boy,  very  inquisitive.  When  he  did  any 
thing,  Sue  followed  his  leadership.  They  bad  many  adventures,  some 
comical  in  the  extreme. 

BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  ON  GRAND-' 
PA'S  FARM 

How  the  youngsters  journeyed  to  the  farm  in  an  auto,  and  what 
good  times  followed,  is  realistically  told. 

BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE   PLAYING 

CIRCUS 

First  the  children  gave  a  little  affair,  but  when  they  obtained  an  ' 
old  army  tent  the  show  was  truly  grand. 

BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  AT  CAMP 

REST-A- WHILE 

The  family  go  into  camp  on  the  edge  of  a  beautiful  lake,  and  Bun 
ny  and  his  sister  have  more  good  times  and  some  adventures. 

BUNNY  BROWN  AND  HIS  SISTER  SUE  AT  AUNT 
LIPS  CITY  HOME  1 

The  city  proved  a  wonderful  place  to  the  little  folks.  They  took  in 
^11  the  sights  and  helped  a  colored  girl  who  had  run  away  from  home. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,         PUBLISHERS,         NEW  YORK 


THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS 
SERIES 

By  LAURA  LEE  HOPE 

Author  of  "The  Bobbsey  Twins  Series." 
12mo.  BOUND  IN  CLOTH.       ILLUSTRATED.       UNIFORM  STYLE  OF  BINDING 

The  adventures  of  Ruth  and  Alice  DeVere.  Their  father, 
a  widower,  is  an  actor  who  has  taken  up  work  for  the 
"movies."  Both  girls  wish  to  aid  him  in  his  work  and  visit 
various  localities  to  act  in  all  sorts  of  pictures.  I 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS 

Or  First  Appearance  in  Photo  Dramas. 

1     Having  lost  his  voice,   the   father  of  the  girls  goes  into  the  movies 
and  the  girls  follow.     Tells  how  many  "parlor  dramas"  are  filmed.       « 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  OAK  FARM 
Or  Queer  Happenings  While  Taking  Rural  Plays. 

Full  of  fun  in  the  country,  the  haps  and  mishaps  of  taking  film 
plays,  and  giving  an  account  of  two  unusual  discoveries. 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  SNOWBOUND 
.  Or  The  Proof  on  the  Film. 

A  tale  of  winter  adventures  in  the  wilderness,  showing  how  the 
photo-play  actors  sometimes  suffer. 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  UNDER  THE  PALMS. 
Or  Lost  in  the  Wilds  of  Florida.  j 

1     How  they  went  to  the  land  of  palms,   played  many  parts  in  dramas 
before   the   camera;    were   lost,   and   aided   others   who    were   also   lost. 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  ROCKY  RANCH 
Or  Great  Days  Among  the  Cowboys. 

All  who  have  ever  seen  moving  pictures  of  the  great  West  will 
want  to  know  just  how  they  are  made.  This  volume  gives  every  detail 
and  is  full  of  clean  fun  and  excitement.  ( 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  AT  SEA 
Or  a  Pictured  Shipwreck  that  Became  Real. 

A  thrilling  account  of  the  girls'  experiences  on  the  water. 

THE  MOVING  PICTURE  GIRLS  IN  WAR  PLAYS 
Or  The  Sham  Battles  at  Oak  Farm. 

The  girls  play  important  parts  in  big  battle  scenes  and  have  plenty 
of  hard  work  along  with  considerable  fun. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,        NEW  YORK 


THE  OUTDOOR  GIRLS  SERIES 

By  LAURA  LEE  HOPE 

Author  of  the  "Bobbsey  Twin  Books"  and  "Bunny  Brown" 
Series. 

12mo.  BOUND  IN  CLOTH.       ILLUSTRATED.       UNIFORM  STYLE  OF  BINDING. 

These  tales  take  in  the  various  adventures  participated  in 
by   several   bright,   up-to-date   girls    who    love    outdoor    life. 
They  are  clean   and  wholesome,   free   from   sensationalism, 
absorbing  from  the  first  chapter  to  the  last. 
THE  OUTDOOR  GIRLS  OF  DEEPDALE 
Or  Camping  and  Tramping  for  Fun  and  Health. 

Telling  how  the  girls  organized  their  Camping  and  Tramping  Club, 
how  they  went  on  a  tour,  and  of  various  adventures  which  befell  them. 

THE  OUTDOOR  GIRLS  AT  RAINBOW  LAKE 
Or  Stirring  Cruise  of  the  Motor  Boat  Gem. 

One  of  the  girls  becomes  the  proud  possessor  of  a  motor  boat  and 
invites  her  club  members  to  take  a  trip  down  the  river  to  Rain 
bow  Lake,  a  beautiful  sheet  of  water  lying  between  the  mountains. 

THE  OUTDOOR  GIRLS  IN  A  MOTOR  CAR 
Or  The  Haunted  Mansion  of  Shadow  Valley. 

One  of  the  girls  has  learned  to  run  a  big  motor  car,  and  she  invites 
the  club  to  go  on  a  tour  to  visit  some  distant  relatives.  On  the  way 
they  stop  at  a  deserted  mansion  and  make  a  surprising  discovery. 

THE  OUTDOOR  GIRLS  IN  A  WINTER  CAMP 
Or  Glorious  Days  on  Skates  and  Ice  Boats. 

In  this  story,  the  scene  is  shifted  to  a  winter  season.  The  girls 
have  some  jolly  times  skating  and  ice  boating,  and  visit  a  hunters' 
camp  in  the  big  woods. 

THE  OUTDOOR  GIRLS  IN  FLORIDA. 
Or  Wintering  in  the  Sunny  South. 

The  parents  of  one  of  the  girls  have  bought  an  orange  grove  in 
Florida,  and  her  companions  are  invited  to  visit  the  place.  They  take 
a  trip  into  the  interior,  where  several  unusual  things  happen. 

THE  OUTDOOR  GIRLS  AT  OCEAN  VIEW 
Or  The  Box  that  Was  Found  in  the  Sand. 

The  girls  have  great  fun  and  solve  a  mystery  while  on  an  outing 
along  the  New  England  coast. 

THE  OUTDOOR  GIRLS  ON  PINE  ISLAND 
Or  A  Cave  and  What  it  Contained. 

A  bright,  healthful  story,  full  of  good  times  at  a  bungalow  camp 
on  Pine  Island. 

GROSSET  &  DUNLAP,        PUBLISHERS,        NEW  YORK 


University  of  California  Library 
Los  Angeles 

This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


EGI^RE^WABIE 


FEB  182QOO 


DUE  2  WKS  FROM  DATE  RECEIVED 
REC'DYRLAPRQ5 


A     000133415     0 


